Friends Will Be Friends
by Crystal Rose of Pollux
Summary: Life isn't easy for a misfit in a big city, but it helps a lot if you have a support network of other misfits who are always there for you. [A series of snapshots focusing on Larry, Balki, Jennifer, and Mary Anne, spanning across all seasons and some even post-series]
1. Let Yourself Go

_Notes: This is going to be a collection of short snapshots centered around Larry, Balki, Jennifer, and Mary Anne, spanning across all seasons, including some post-series. Some of these will also be based off of episodes, but some will not._

_This first piece takes place around Season 4-5ish, and was inspired by Day 2 of Inktober's prompt: Mindless._

* * *

It had been Balki, naturally, who had spotted the tiny, retro-style diner that had been nestled and hidden among the larger, flashier eateries. He had been drawn to it immediately, insisting that it reminded him of something right out of _Happy Days_. The others humored him; it looked quaint and inviting, anyway, and even the old jukebox seemed to be inviting the four as they peeked inside.

It wasn't a very busy place; there were a few other people besides the cousins and their dates, each taking a turn selecting a song from the jukebox. Though the diner was retro, the jukebox did seem to have contemporary selections in addition to oldies.

They ate and just sat and chatted for a while, idly listening to the music as they talked. Even though they had finished eating, they weren't being shooed out the door. If anything, it was as though they were being welcomed to stay longer.

"I love this place, Larry," Jennifer gushed, giving his hand a squeeze. "How come we didn't know about it before?"

"I guess it's just one of those well-hidden gems," Larry shrugged. He went slightly red as Jennifer grabbed his hand. "But, hey—we found it now. Well, Balki found it." He glanced at his cousin. "Good job, Buddy."

"Thank you, Cousin," Balki grinned.

"It really is lovely here," Mary Anne agree, smiling at him, too. "Thank you for finding it, Balki."

"Oh, of course you're welcome…" Balki trailed off as a new song came on the jukebox—a slow song, with an acoustic guitar taking the forefront. "Oh, listen to that! Such a beautiful song!"

"…Balki, that's 'Dust in the Wind,'" Larry informed him.

"Oh, well, it's beautiful—and perfect to dance to!" Balki stood up and extended a hand to Mary Anne. "Shall we?"

Jennifer and Larry watched, incredulously, as Mary Anne eagerly got to her feet and accepted Balki's hand.

"This… This isn't a song you dance to!" Larry protested.

"Well, certainly not with _that_ attitude!" Balki scoffed.

Larry and Jennifer watched on in amazement as Balki and Mary Anne began to slow dance to the song. The other patrons also seemed to be watching with a mix of amusement, though one of them gave a combination of a nod and a shrug as if to say, "_You do you_."

"…That's 'Dust in the Wind,'" Larry said again. "One of the most nihilistic songs about the inevitability of death and how nothing lasts forever… And they're just _dancing_ to it without a care in the world?"

"…You know, it almost makes me a little jealous," Jennifer admitted. "Mary Anne doesn't carry the worries and baggage that I usually do. …Guess you and Balki have the same dynamic." She sighed. "Why can't you and I be as laid-back as Balki and Mary Anne?"

"Anxiety?"

"Right…"

"Well, someone's gotta keep those two on their feet. It may as well be us," Larry added. "There's still so much about the world that Balki doesn't get—or maybe he just doesn't want to get it. He dives right in and lets himself go without thinking about it."

"But have you ever let yourself go like that and enjoyed it?" Jennifer wondered.

"On the rare occasions Balki talks me into it," Larry admitted. "A few months after he'd arrived in America, someone at his night school told him about karaoke bars…"

"…I see exactly where this is going," Jennifer mused.

"You'd be right," Larry said, though he did manage a smile. "I was content to sit and watch Balki sing, but, of course, that wasn't enough for him. 'Cousin Larry, this one is a duet—please, won't you sing with me?' Well, it was a weeknight, and it wasn't too crowded, and so…" He trailed off with a shrug.

"It must've been nice to be able to just let loose and not worry…" Jennifer sighed.

"…You know what? After the initial jitters, it really was," Larry admitted.

"What did you two end up singing?"

"…'Under Pressure.' He was Bowie; I was Mercury."

"…_Seriously_?"

"Well, I was the only one who could hit that high note, so…"

"…Well, I, for one, am sorry I missed this," Jennifer stated. She got to her feet.

"…Jen? What're you doing?" Larry asked.

She gave him an impish smile and headed for the jukebox.

"Jen…? Oh no. Oh no no no no…"

"What's the matter?" Balki asked, looking over as he saw Larry run after her.

"I told her about the time we sang 'Under Pressure,' and now she wants a reprise."

"Oh, Cousin, that would be such fun to sing that again!"

"Nooo, I don't think so…" Larry said, glancing at the other patrons.

"Oh, come on, Cousin! What's the worst that could possibly happen?"

"He's right; it's a small crowd," Jennifer pointed out. "Actually, you can't even call it a crowd."

"Well, how about this?" Mary Anne suggested. "They'll sing along to 'Under Pressure' if we sing along to 'Dancing Queen' like we did at the airline talent show!"

"What!?" Jennifer exclaimed, her hand freezing over the jukebox.

"Well, well, well…" Larry mused. "I'm sorry I missed _that_."

She gave him a look, but then her expression softened with a shrug.

"…It's only fair…" she admitted.

"Well, then—ladies first," Larry said, moving for the jukebox.

"Nuh-uh," she said, gently pushing him aside. "This was my idea."

Larry made another attempt for the jukebox, but Jennifer slipped in front of him, placed a quarter in, and selected "Under Pressure."

"Sing your heart out," she teased, as the bassline filled the diner. "That is, if you think you've still got it."

Those were the magic words; from the look on Larry's face, the challenge had been accepted.

And it didn't end with just "Under Pressure" and "Dancing Queen," no; it soon was one song after another as the night grew on and the other patrons treated themselves to the impromptu show—and any and all anxieties were temporarily forgotten.


	2. Support Network

_Notes: this vignette was inspired by Day 3 of Inktober's prompts: Bait. This one is based off of episode 4x19, "Just a Gigolo." I found it interesting that, for the most part, Larry didn't seem too bothered about being disguised as a woman and was mostly going along with it just fine—his anxiety only kicked in (and understandably so) when Jack invaded his personal space and tried to kiss him, and given that the adrenaline was high at that point, it probably wouldn't have sunk in until much later, after the fact, that it was a highly unpleasant moment he'd managed to narrowly escape from. And that's what fic is for—to address the emotional baggage that canon tends to gloss over._

_Given the nature of that scene, this vignette has a mild trigger warning for mentions of attempted assault_.

* * *

Larry grumbled to himself as he got the last of the rouge off of his face. That was it; he was free now—free from that disguise he'd had to wear. Disguising himself as a woman and being the bait to prove that Jack, Lydia's intended, was a no-good two-timer, had been a good cause, but literally everyone from work (except for Gorpley—a small mercy indeed, though word of what had happened would get to him soon enough) had been there at the engagement party and had seen him unmasked in order to expose Jack.

At any rate, the plan had worked—a little _too_ well, in fact; Larry shuddered, recalling Jack's octopus arms around him and trying to force a few kisses before his identity had been revealed. Clearly, Jack had pulled that maneuver before; Larry may have had the strength to hold him off before he went any further—but would those other women have been able to, as well? He certainly hoped so, for their sakes.

Back in his pajamas once again, he cast one last look of disdain at the blue dress. He wanted to burn that thing, but that would be foolish—maybe he could sell it back or something. It was only lightly used, after all…

Still deep in thought, Larry was only vaguely aware of the key turning in the apartment door—that would be Balki coming back after telling Mary Anne what happened.

"There's hot cocoa on the stove," Larry said, as the door opened, not looking up.

"Oh, that's great, Cousin; the girls would like some, too, I'm sure."

Larry suddenly looked up now; yes, Mary Anne was there beside Balki, waving cheerfully, and next to her was Jennifer, who had been at the apartment a few hours earlier, having walked in to see Larry still in the blue dress—and had promptly walked right out after the awkwardness of the moment had reached its peak.

He could feel his face burning red again; well, it would be his turn to walk out and diffuse the awkwardness this time…

"I'm going to bed," he mumbled, turning around and stumbling towards his room.

"Larry, wait…" Jennifer said. "I was listening when Balki told Mary Anne what happened… That was really an amazing thing you did for Lydia."

"And he did it, even though_ I_ was the one who got Miss Lydia into that mess by introducing her to Jack," Balki added, sheepishly.

"Well… It had to be done; I'm just glad Lydia got to see what Jack was really like before it was too late," Larry said.

"Well, not very many guys would've done that," Mary Anne informed him.

"…Yeah, well… It's all over now," Larry sighed. "And with that, goodnight."

"Cousin, wait; have some cocoa with us before you turn in," Balki said. "I know you're still a mortician after what happened, but we're your friends! We won't laugh at you—and you know it!"

Larry paused in confusion for a moment.

"…Did you mean 'mortified,' by any chance?" he asked, after a moment. "I'm actually not. Really. I just wanna go sleep and put it all behind me…"

Nevertheless, he sat down on the couch with Jennifer as Balki and Mary Anne got the cocoa.

"And I'm sorry I left before giving you the chance to explain," Jennifer added. "…Are we still on for coffee tomorrow?"

Larry managed a nod.

"Yeah, that sounds nice." He took the cup of cocoa from Balki and took a few sips, feeling a little better.

Mary Anne cleared her throat and held up a jar of makeup remover.

"Thought you might want to borrow this."

"Thanks, but I think I got it all," Larry said.

"Umm… most of it," Balki said.

"What did I miss?"

"You didn't get the eyeliner off," Jennifer informed him, holding up a compact mirror.

Larry took one look at his reflection and stared, deadpan.

"…That's a problem for tomorrow," he stated, getting up. "Goodnight."

The girls cringed involuntarily.

"Trust me—you don't want to sleep with that on; you _will_ regret it in the morning," Jennifer insisted, gently taking his arm and pulling him back down to the couch. "Just leave it to me. Balki, I need a bowl of warm water and a clean cloth, please. And Mary Anne, stand by the makeup remover."

"Right," they chorused, and Balki went to retrieve the items as Jennifer gently placed her hand beneath Larry's chin. Once she had what she needed, she began to remove the eyeliner from his eyes.

"I still say that was a wonderful thing you did," she assured him, with a smile.

"Yeah?"

She nodded, continuing her work.

"But do you mind if I ask a question?"

"Go ahead…"

"It definitely was wonderful of you to do this, but… Why didn't you just ask Mary Anne or me to be the bait to catch Jack in the act?"

"Lydia would've recognized you immediately, and besides…" Larry trailed off, once again recalling Jack grabbing him around the waist and trying to kiss him again.

"Besides… what?" Jennifer prompted, as she got the last of the eyeliner off. Her smile faded as she realized something was wrong. "Larry?"

Balki looked on in concern.

"Cousin?"

Mary Anne bit her lip.

"Larry, did something happen?"

"It's nothing—really, it's nothing," he said. "Don't worry about it." That did nothing to assuage their concerns; their expressions did not change. "I'm serious! Jack got a little handsy, and he tried to get a few kisses on me, but that's it!"

"Why'd you didn't tell me that happened!?" Balki exclaimed, stumbling over his English in his concern.

"The adrenaline hadn't worn off; I was focused on the plan," Larry said. "And anyway, it's not that bad. You went through _way_ worse with Olivia Crawford; this wasn't worth complaining about!"

"If you are this upset, it is worth complaining about," Balki insisted. He moved to hug his cousin, but both Jennifer and Mary Anne stopped him, not sure if Larry needed some space.

"I'm not upset!" Larry exclaimed, loudly. He realized his tone of voice and tried to salvage the moment. "I mean… It's not like he actually kissed me; I held him off! What do I have to be upset about!?"

"Because it isn't fair," Jennifer said, quietly. He glanced at her, and she continued. "I know there've been a lot of times when I've been jet-lagged on our dates and fallen asleep—in your car, at the movies, watching TV… I think one time, I even fell asleep during a Cubs game. But it didn't matter—you never once overstepped or tried to take advantage of that."

"I would _never_—!"

"I know; why do you think I'd be willing to go out with you after coming home from an international flight, even when I was so tired? I never dared to try that with any of my old boyfriends. But now, tonight, you go through this… It isn't fair!"

"Well… It could've been worse, and I'm glad it wasn't. And I'm glad it wasn't one of you." Larry glanced at the girls, and then at his cousin. The original plan had, after all, been for Balki to be the one in disguise; suddenly, Larry found himself grateful that it had been him instead—Balki didn't need to go through that a second time and be reminded of Olivia Crawford, even if Jack hadn't been able to get that far. "That's what I need to focus on. Then I can just put this all behind me, and… And…" He trailed off, still trying to remain calm. "…I'll have that hug now…"

All three of them obliged him, and he returned it; safe in the group hug, he finally sighed in relief. It had been unpleasant, but it was over now, and his support network would see him through.

He was a lucky man, he realized, to have them.


	3. Waiting for the Morning Light

_Notes: This vignette was inspired by today's Inktober prompt: Freeze, and by episode 3x7, "The Horn Blows at Midnight," which is my favorite episode of the entire series. I loved the supernatural theme of it, and I especially loved the "We ride together, we die together" mentality that Balki, Jennifer, and Mary Anne had when it came to protecting Larry in the face of his prophesized encounter with Death. I was a bit puzzled, though, as to why, after the rest of the prophecy came true, Death didn't actually show up (aside from the obvious fact that it's a sitcom and not meant to be that serious). And then the plot bunny for this happened. This vignette takes place a year after the events of that episode._

* * *

"It's this way."

"No, I'm sure it's _this_ way."

"Cousin, we already went _that_ way."

"How can you even tell in all this fog!?"

"Guys, _please_…" Jennifer sighed, running a hand through her hair. "We've been walking in the fog for an hour. I'm freezing, and I just want to find that car and go home."

"Aw, Jen…" Larry drew an arm around her. "Let's just keep going a little bit further; the car has got to be around here somewhere."

"That may be, but how did we get so far from the parking lot—that's all I want to know," Mary Anne said, also shivering.

"Because the fog is so thick, you can cut it with a pea soup spoon," Balki declared, drawing an arm around her, too.

Larry looked as though he was about to say something, but decided against it; anyway, with how thick this fog was tonight, the double mixed metaphor worked extremely well in describing it.

"The fog really did roll in pretty quickly…" he admitted. "I can barely see you guys right beside me. You know, if I believed in that kind of stuff I'd say there was something otherworldly about—"

Larry was cut off in midsentence by a yelp of alarm from Balki, who suddenly vanished right in front of their eyes.

"Balki!?" Larry and Jennifer exclaimed.

"Oh, God, he's gone!" Mary Anne wailed. "Vanished! He—"

She paused as they heard a pained groan from the ground.

"…Or maybe he just tripped," she finished, embarrassed.

"Well, that was quite a wipeout," Larry said, flinching in sympathy as he knelt down to help his cousin up into a sitting position. "Okay, Buddy, okay—up you get." Balki still looked dazed, and so Larry moved his finger back and forth in front of his face to make sure he could focus.

"What happened…?" Balki asked.

"You tripped and fell on your face," Larry explained, still trying to get him to focus. "How do you feel?"

"…Like I tripped and fell on my face," Balki replied, plainly. He blinked in confusion at Larry moving his finger back and forth and looked up. "What are you pointing at?"

"…Nevermind," Larry said, helping him to his feet.

"Are you alright?" Mary Anne asked.

"I think so…" Balki said. He tried to take a step forward, but he let out a cry of pain; Larry immediately supported him, gently helping him back down into a sitting position.

"And that's sprained," Larry sighed, taking a look at Balki's ankle.

"Sorry, Cousin…"

"Not your fault; one of us was bound to trip in this fog."

"I can still walk," Balki insisted.

"Bad idea; you need to stay off of that ankle and rest," Mary Anne insisted.

"She's right," Larry agreed. "You three rest here for a while; I'll go on ahead and see if I can get any closer to the car."

"Cousin, I don't think you should go wandering in the fog; you'll get lost," Balki said. "You should stay and rest with us."

"It's no problem; I'll walk in a straight line that way," Larry indicated. "If I don't find anything in five minutes, I'll turn right around and come back."

"Also a bad idea," Mary Anne insisted. "Larry, in this fog, you can easily wander off from a straight line."

"But we have to find the car! Look at you—you're all miserable and cold, and Balki is in no shape to walk…" Larry sighed. _And it's my fault for getting us lost_—_again_.

"…Wait, I've got an idea," Jennifer said, searching through her bag. "Here… I stopped off at the craft store this morning; you can use this."

She handed him a ball of red yarn.

"Oh, Cousin, it's just like Theseus and the Labyrinth!" Balki exclaimed.

"Well, let's just hope I don't run into any Minotaurs," Larry intoned. He leaned over and gave Jennifer a kiss. "Thanks, Jen."

"Hurry back," she replied, tightly grabbing onto the loose thread of the yarn ball.

Larry nodded and headed into the fog.

"There goes a brave man," Balki said, proudly. He winced as he tried to adjust his leg. "Ow… What did I even trip over to make it hurt so much?"

Mary Anne fished in her bag for a small flashlight and aimed it around.

"Oh, just a small headstone," she announced.

"Oh."

The three of them paused for a moment before glancing at each other.

"_A headstone_!?" the exclaimed, in unison.

"How did we end up in a cemetery!?" Jennifer demanded.

"I don't know—we weren't parked anywhere near one!" Mary Anne. "We would've had to walk for hours to get to the nearest cemetery!"

"Unless…" Balki said, looking around nervously. "What Cousin Larry was saying about there being something otherworldly about this fog is, in fact, what happened."

"I'm… I'm sure he wasn't serious…" Jennifer stammered, her grip on her end of the yarn tightening. "Maybe we really _have_ been walking for hours, and we just didn't realize it…"

"Uh… Jennifer…?" Mary Anne asked, staring at the red yarn.

The three of them stared as a casing of frost formed down the red yarn towards the end that Jennifer was holding.

"Larry…!"

Jennifer got to her feet and was about to follow the yarn as Balki also stood up, with Mary Anne's support.

"Balki, your ankle—" she reminded him.

But Balki shook his head.

"I'll hop on one foot if I have to, but we need to find Cousin Larry!"

The girls knew there was no stopping him; they supported him as they followed the yarn, helping him so that he didn't have to put his weight on his sprained ankle.

They were soon calling for Larry, and after what seemed like and age and a half, they finally got a response.

"Balki? Jen? Mary Anne?"

There was a collective sigh of relief, though they were slightly alarmed as they saw the same odd frost on the yarn having formed on Larry's clothes and hair—though he seemed oblivious to it.

"Balki, your ankle!" he fretted. "You're supposed to stay off of it! What are you even doing out here—all of you? I told you I'd come back—I'm not even out of yarn yet! …Oh, that's weird…" He finally noticed the frost on the yarn. "Huh…"

"Larry, that frost is all over you, too," Mary Anne said, staring wide-eyed.

"She's right, Cousin; anymore frosting, and you'll be a cake," Balki stated.

The three of them began to brush the frost off of him; Larry sputtered in protest, but it was clear that they weren't going to leave it.

"Oh, Larry, you're even colder than I am," Jennifer said, pulling him into a hug this time.

"I feel fine—really," Larry replied, baffled.

"Cousin, I think we need to get out of this cemetery and get you to someplace warm," Balki said.

"Balki really, I'm fine…" Larry trailed off. "Cemetery? We were nowhere near a cemetery. There is no way this is a cemetery."

"Then what's that?" Mary Anne asked, aiming the flashlight beam over Larry's shoulder.

He turned around.

"…That's a mausoleum," he realized. His eyes widened. "_Oh, my Lord_…! I was headed right for that thing—I didn't even see it!"

Jennifer suddenly tightened her hug as she noticed something else.

"…The doors are open…" She squinted in the dim light, trying to see what was carved above the doors.

Anything else she wanted to say was derailed by a sudden, fierce breeze that was blowing from behind them—as though trying to get them closer—and eventually into—the open mausoleum. And Larry, out ahead, was being the most tossed around by the wind, with Jennifer being dragged along with him.

Larry soon found himself at the center of another group hug as Balki and Mary Anne joined Jennifer, but then the wind picked up even more.

"It's no good!" Larry cried over the wind, as they were buffeted even closer to the looming structure. "Save yourselves!"

"No way!" Mary Anne insisted.

"Not a chance!" Jennifer agreed.

"No, Cousin! We are in this together!" Balki finished.

The wind increased intensity even further, taking their breath away; knowing that the others were holding on to him, Larry tried to brace himself against it. He didn't understand what was happening—but he knew that he couldn't let anything happen to the others.

And then, the wind suddenly stopped, sending them toppling over in a heap—Balki cursing in Myposian as he landed on his sprained ankle, but then looking around to check on the others.

"Is everyone alright?"

"I'm ok…" Mary Anne said.

"Same here," Jennifer agreed.

"And me. Just barely," Larry groaned. He sat up, staring ahead. "…The mausoleum is gone."

"What!?" Jennifer asked, also sitting up. "But we all saw it!"

"Maybe we were all seeing things…" Larry said. "That _was_ a thick fog…"

"Cousin, I tripped over a gravestone, and you were turning into Frosty the Snowman, headed for that mausoleum by the time we found you," Balki insisted.

"If you ask me, something wanted you in there, and got mad when we stopped you," Mary Anne said, quietly.

Jennifer suddenly let out a shrill gasp.

"Jen…?" Larry asked, concerned.

"Larry, do you realize what tonight is!?"

"…Should I…?" he asked, momentarily wondering if he'd forgotten an important anniversary.

"Larry, it was exactly a year ago to the day Claire Hayden made her prophecy about your death! And _look_!" She held up her watch. "Just after Midnight! And… And now that I think about it… Just before the wind started blowing, I was trying to read what was carved on the mausoleum—the light was too dim, but… I'm pretty sure it started with an 'A.'"

Balki and Mary Anne both went pale.

"Wh… But… How!? I didn't sit on a sheep or eat a golden ring tonight!" Larry protested.

"Well, you did that last year; all Mr. Death had to do this year was show up!" Balki said, drawing Larry into a hug again. "He was probably waiting in that mausoleum for you!"

The girls also hugged him again now, and Larry sighed again in utter confusion.

"There's so much I don't understand…" he said, shaking his head. "I don't even fully understand what just happened here. But… I do know that you three probably just saved my life. Again. So… thanks for that."

His voice had cracked; he couldn't help but feel a bit emotional. It had never been easy for Larry to make friends, and now he had _three_ best friends, one of them his girlfriend, who loved him enough to defy a prophecy and save him from the Reaper—and he would do the same in an instant for them.

They didn't move or say anything for a while—even after the fog had lifted, revealing them to be right next to the parking lot and Larry's Mustang, the odd cemetery completely vanished.

But there were no words that needed to be said that hadn't already been exchanged while unspoken. And together, they greeted the dawn, grateful for life—and for each other.


	4. Stellar

_Notes: This was inspired by Day 7 of Inktober's prompts: Enchanted. This one takes place around season 4ish._

* * *

Balki was a man of simple pleasures—it was something that Larry never really understood, and sometimes something he marveled at. It was also difficult to deny his requests when he so rarely asked for anything.

And that was how Larry had ended up driving an hour out of Chicago with Balki, Jennifer, and Mary Anne after Balki had heard about there being perfect weather conditions to view a meteor shower that night—only to be devastated upon learning that, within the city, it would be impossible to get a good view of them.

Balki had begged for a chance to see them, reminiscing about the times he had been able to see meteor showers on Mypos while tending the sheep at nights, and Larry finally agreed. They also invited Jennifer and Mary Anne to come along, who took them up on the offer, never having taken the opportunity to see a meteor shower, either.

Once out of the city, they set up a picnic blanket on a grassy hillside and had a late dinner, and then reclined on the blanket and chatted idly as they waited. Stars and planets soon sparkled into view, and the four of them started trying to identify constellations; Larry, having taken an elective astronomy course in college, seemed to be the best at it, but with so many constellations being inspired by ancient Greek myths, Balki was able to provide the lore behind the constellations that Larry identified—Orion, son of Poseidon; Gemini, the twins Castor and Pollux; Cassiopeia, the vain queen; and many other stories, ending with the tale of Perseus, who had slain Medusa at Athena Parthenos's behest…

"And some say that Athena Parthenos and the other Olympians still observe all of our goings-on here on Earth," Balki added. "Sometimes, they walk among us, just as they supposedly did in ancient times—under different names, of course. They probably wouldn't want to be recognized."

"Those are some amazing stories, Balki!" Mary Anne exclaimed. "Just like all your old Mypoisian legends!"

"She's right—I always knew the names of the constellations and had a vague idea of some of the stories, but I never knew the full tales," Larry said, amazed.

"Me neither," Jennifer agreed. "Were those the stories you heard growing up?"

"They sure were," Balki grinned. "We were close enough to Greece to get all the good stories from them, in addition to our own…" He trailed off as he noticed something. "Oh, look! _Look_!"

They all looked up and saw the first shooting star of the meteor shower soaring over their heads. A hush fell over the four as they waited and watched, and soon, more shooting stars followed.

"Balki, this is incredible…" Larry said, unable to take his eyes off of the enchanting sight. "I don't know what to say—thank you for convincing me to drive all the way out here for this!"

"And thank you for inviting us, too," Jennifer agreed.

"We should make some wishes on those!" Mary Anne added. "Do you wish on falling stars on Mypos?"

"Oh, we sure do," Balki said, wistfully.

Jennifer gave Larry a gentle nudge with her elbow as Balki and Mary Anne continued to talk more about wishes.

"I know," Larry said, with a quiet chuckle. "But let 'em dream. Wishes can't hurt."

"But I don' know what else to wish for," Balki continued. "My wish already came true for the thing I wanted most of all."

"It did?" Mary Anne asked.

"I am here in America—where I wanted to be, more than anything," Balki sighed. "And then I got even _more_ than what I wished for. I found Cousin Larry, and then I found you and Jennifer… What more could I possibly need?"

"Money," Larry and Jennifer chorused.

"Oh, you two…" Mary Anne chided, shaking her head.

"Really?" Balki asked, looking over at them. "Both of you, look each other in the eyes right now. I mean it—you can look at more shooting stars in just a minute. But look at each other right now."

Larry and Jennifer both shrugged, but turned to look at each other. Larry's heart felt like it was doing flips as he saw the starlight shining in Jennifer's eyes.

"Good," Balki said. "Now continue to look into each other's eyes and tell if you would _really_ rather be looking at a big pile of money right now instead of each other."

Larry could feel his throat tightening as he continued to look into Jennifer's eyes. He shook his head.

"I couldn't say that," he admitted.

Jennifer took his hand in hers and gave it a firm squeeze.

"Neither could I," she agreed.

"There, see? You don' need money," Balki said. "You want it, but you really don' _need_ it. You have something very precious right there, and thankfully, you both know it."

"Of course, you're right," Larry sighed. "And not just Jen, either—I wouldn't trade you or Mary Anne for a pile of money, either."

"That goes for me, too," Jennifer added.

"Then let's just enjoy the rest of this show and not worry about wishes or money, huh?" Balki asked, with a smile.

He and Mary Anne went back to admiring the meteors; Larry and Jennifer held their gaze for a moment longer before turning their attention back to the sky—still holding hands.

It was a beautiful sight—but nowhere near as beautiful as the sight of four true-blue companions enjoying it together.


	5. Inevitable

_Notes: This vignette was inspired by today's Intkober prompt ("frail") and takes place shortly after the events of episode 4x14, "Come Fly With Me," which ends with the squad arriving in Hawaii—but we never got to actually see what happened _while_ they were in Hawaii, so here's this._

* * *

It was a relief to everyone after Jennifer and Mary Anne had recovered from the effects of the _chaldikis_, allowing them to enjoy their Hawaiian vacation with Larry and Balki. Balki was enjoying himself immensely—how could he not, when it was encouraged here to wear the loudest colors possible?

Larry, however, couldn't help but feel anxious. The disastrous camping trip had only been a few months behind them—and there was the equally-disastrous ski vacation two years before that. Something was going to go wrong here, and it would most likely be his fault—causing the others more misery.

And that was why he was trying to keep his distance from the other three as they made their way through lush tropical gardens. Jennifer was stopping to admire the local flora, while Balki and Mary Anne chatted between themselves, Mary Anne stopping every now and again to take pictures with her camera.

Larry took a side path in the garden on a small, wooden bridge over a pond, failing to notice the sign in front, warning that the bridge was frail and unstable. He could get a good view of the others on the main path. They were happy on this trip; he would continue keeping his distance and letting them enjoy themselves without his bad luck interfering.

It was almost incredible, really, how unlucky he could be…

He sighed and watched the fish swimming in the pond beneath the bridge he was standing on—they swam around, expecting food that other tourists no doubt threw to them, and Larry lazily watched his reflection in the water get disturbed by the fish.

He had to admit that he envied them—they were able to swim around without a care in the world, unburdened by anxiety.

He let his mind go blank as he watched the fish, trying to be more like them—carefree and not hung up on anything. And it was quite a while before he realized that someone was calling his name.

"Larry! Hey, Larry!"

Almost in a stupor, he looked up to see Jennifer waving to him.

"Balki! Mary Anne! I found him!" she called out before heading down the side path towards the tiny wooden bridge. "Larry, where did you disappear to!? It just isn't any fun without you there, too!"

"Oh, I'm… sure you don't really need me there," Larry stammered. "I don't mind sitting out for a bit…"

She gave him a sympathetic look and now joined him on the bridge, which creaked under their combined weight, but neither of them noticed it.

"Larry, are you feeling jet-lagged?" she asked.

"…Yeah. Jet-lagged. Yeah, that's it," Larry said, a little too hastily. "Maybe I should just head back to the hotel and rest."

He hadn't been convincing enough; Jennifer quickly realized that wasn't it at all.

"Larry, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he insisted. "Well… Nothing _yet_." He turned away, leaning against the wooden railing of the bridge and looking down at the fish again. "But just wait for it; with me around, something will go wrong eventually. Happens every time we go on vacation."

Jennifer gently took him by the shoulder and turned him around to face her.

"I know I get on your case about that," she admitted. "But no matter how upset I get about it, I know you never intend for those things to happen. And I like spending time with you. I mean, are you really going to keep avoiding me and Balki and Mary Anne so that nothing goes wrong? I don't want that—and I'm sure they don't, either."

She put her arms around him and kissed him, adding her weight against the railing in the process, which was more than the old, frail bridge could handle. There was a resounding _CRACK_, and Larry felt himself falling backwards; by reflex, he grabbed for the closest thing near him—which, alas, happened to be Jennifer, who was still holding onto him.

The fish scattered as the couple landed in the pond; it wasn't deep, and they both surfaced, but Larry had a look of absolute mortification on his face, which was matched by the look on Jennifer's.

"Jen… I'm so sorry, Jen…"

"…Actually, I think that one might've been on me…" she admitted, after a moment.

They were soon helped out of the pond by Balki and Mary Anne; realizing how discomfited Larry and Jennifer must be feeling after their tumble in the pond, Balki suggested they abandon the garden and head for the nearest beach—one with a view of green sand, the likes of which they had never seen before.

The tide was in, and as they traversed the shoreline, they were soon all equally doused by the larger waves. As Balki and Mary Anne perused the shoreline for seashells, Jennifer grabbed Larry's hand and ran after them, determined not to let him distance himself from them.

He was surprised, but grateful.

And they all managed to have a wonderful time.


	6. Wrong Place at the Right Time

_Notes: this piece is for today's Inktober prompt ("swing"), and is post-series, but references the events of episode 7x4, "Weekend at Ferdinand's." This fic was also largely inspired by an absolutely amazing fanart by Chill13 entitled "The Castle Window," which features Larry in the predicament I've written him in this piece. I know this piece is a bit of a cliffhanger; if there's any interest, I'll continue it somewhere down the line._

_Since we never got to see the Myposian royal residence in the show itself, I took a few creative liberties and based it largely off of Hyrule Castle and its surrounding Castle Town from _Breath of the Wild _(the pre-Calamity glory days, naturally…)._

* * *

If there was one thing that Larry took pride in, it was his skills as a journalist. He had the uncanny ability to sense a story in the making, as well as knowing the best way to put the idea to paper—wordsmithing, he liked to call it. It was why Wainwright had sent him on assignment to Athens to cover the newly-discovered ruins of a temple to Athena Parthenos separate from the better-known Parthenon; Wainwright had also assigned Balki to go with him, knowing that Balki would be able to provide a lot of knowledge on the subject to help with the story. Jennifer and Mary Anne, never ones to miss out on a reason for a getaway, were able to get assignments on the Athens flight. But times had changed since their first getaways together—and for the better. For now, it was no longer just the four of them as, over the years, young love had deepened to true commitment (albeit after a few hiccups along the way); knots had been tied, and each couple would be taking their year-old son with them on the journey.

Larry and Jennifer's son, Tucker, a boy as plucky as befitting for the unique circumstances of his birth, had inherited Larry's expressive eyes and curly hair, though his curls were blond, courtesy of Jennifer. And, mercifully, he'd managed to avoid inheriting his parents' anxiety issues, both of whom had been fretting over how he would handle his first plane ride, only for Tucker to baffle the both of them by sleeping through most of it.

"Cousin, he was born in a hot-air balloon," Balki had reminded Larry. "He probably feels right at home in an airplane!"

Larry hadn't been sure if that was it, but he'd take it as an explanation, anyway.

Balki and Mary Anne's son, Robespierre, though awake for most of the flight, had been happy and absorbed in the books that Balki read to him as he cuddled Dimitri. Robespierre had several of his father's Mediterranean features, including his dark hair—but the child's eyes were distinctly Mary Anne's.

The flight went off without a hitch for both children, and once the business in Athens had been completed, it meant a detour to Mypos for Balki and Mary Anne to introduce Robespierre to Balki's mother before returning Stateside. Naturally, the Appletons were willing to join them on the detour.

They had arrived on Mypos to find the island in much of a stir; emissaries from Skeptos had arrived before them, apparently attempting to form some sort of trade accords with the Myposian government.

"I never thought I'd see the day," Balki mused. "We've never gotten along well with the Skeptics. And they've never gotten along with us. I wonder if it's because of Queen Cookie's relaxed attitude…"

Larry had sensed a story in the works from that description alone. Knowing that Wainwright would be impressed if he returned to Chicago with two stories instead of just one, Larry excused himself after introducing Tucker to Balki's mother, and set off for the royal residence—the castle at the foot of Mt. Mypos.

The bustling little town surrounding the castle was more active and busy than Balki's village hometown. And Larry found himself somewhat of a minor celebrity, having assisted (well, sort of…) Balki in his negotiations with Worldwide Amalgamated's quest for purchasing Myposian land a few years ago, and then again for, two years later, hosting then-King Ferdinand at their house in Chicago.

Larry was readily granted access to the castle interior and spent some time searching for where the negotiations with the Skeptics were taking place. He soon got his answer—scrambling out of the way as Queen Cookie, her husband, and someone who was undoubtedly the current Head Negotiator (he was wearing the Hat of a Thousand Quibbles, at any rate) angrily stormed from the meeting room, talking over each other in Myposian—but in angry tones.

Behind them, the Skeptics followed, also speaking in angry tones. Larry glanced inside the meeting room, taking note of the papers inside. He slipped inside to take a glance at them, sighing as he saw that they weren't in English.

He consoled himself by taking a few pictures of the documents; perhaps he could convince Balki to translate them later…

His train of thought came to a screeching halt as he heard some people returning; not wanting to be caught prying, he searched for another way out—but found none, aside from the window. Desperate, he grabbed the thick curtain cord and clambered out the window with it, aiming to drop onto a balcony.

It had seemed like a good idea at that particular moment… but it was as he found himself swinging over empty air that Larry realized the hard way that there was no balcony. Climbing back wasn't an option; the Skeptics were still arguing, but quickly lowered their voices, switching to a more conspiratorial tone.

Larry climbed a bit up the curtain rod to see through the window, and it was that point that, as reference was made to the Queen and her husband, one of the Skeptics uttered the word "_kuzotski_," and made a stabbing motion as the others nodded in agreement.

Larry quickly clambered back down the curtain cord, out of sight, hardly daring to believe what he was hearing. Though he didn't understand most of the conversation, he knew what a _kuzotski_ was, having nearly been at the receiving end of the Skeptos-made sword, spared only by Balki's timely intervention. But now, the Skeptics seemed to have designed on the Myposian royal family with the sword—and nothing good could come of that.

He had to find a way down and deliver the warning! The only option, however, seemed to be trying to find handholds in the stone wall of the castle. Larry exhaled in nervousness, but then swung over to the wall.

It was at this point that Larry glanced down, noticing Balki, Jennifer, Mary Anne, and the kids walking along the path on the castle grounds—no doubt looking for Larry after he hadn't returned.

It was Tucker who had spotted him first.

"_Da_!" the boy exclaimed, happily pointing at his father.

"Oh, Tucker, your dad isn't up there…" Jennifer began, but she trailed off as she looked up to see her husband dangling in midair, trying to grab at a stone wall. "Oh, God—he is! _Larry_!?"

"What does he think he's _doing_!?" Balki exclaimed. "…I mean, besides the obvious…"

Somehow, Larry managed to grab onto some handholds among the old stones of the castle wall. The stones being uneven proved to be a Godsend; he had a way to hold on, perhaps even make it down… Well, he would have to try, anyway—at least make it enough of a ways down before the Skeptics took a look out the window and realized he'd been eavesdropping.

"Oh, this is bad…" Mary Anne fretted, as they watched Larry attempt to scale the wall down. "He's no good at bouldering!"

"Larry, stop!" Jennifer pleaded. "You'll never make it!"

Larry was still too close to the window to respond without being heard; he glanced back down, trying to give Jennifer a reassuring glance, but quickly got a flash of vertigo and had to focus back on the wall, catching his breath before attempting to continue the climb downward, much to Jennifer's horror.

Tucker was quickly picking up on his parents' distress; he whimpered slightly, trying, in vain, to reach out to his father.

"I know what to do!" Balki suddenly exclaimed. He handed off Robespierre to Mary Anne and darted across the grounds back to the marketplace. He came back a few minutes later with several of the residents, all of them grabbing part of a large canvas tarp that had been covering one of the marketplace stalls; they got into position, holding the tarp, and waited.

The sight of the tarp had only provided a slight bit of comfort; Larry knew that the higher he was, the less useful it would be. He kept climbing down, stopping every so often to regain some of his stamina, and, slowly, Jennifer began to breathe easier as the distance between Larry and the ground decreased.

It was an agonizing length of time before Larry was finally close enough to let go and safely fall upon the tarp; the Mypiots set him down gently, and Balki drew him into a relieved hug after helping him to his feet.

"I owe you one, Balki," Larry said, hardly daring to believe the feat he'd pulled off.

"_Larry_!"

Larry flinched and now turned to face the others. Jennifer looked half-furious, and half on the verge of tears; Tucker, at least, was happy again, reaching out to him. Larry quickly took his son in his arms and then attempted to soothe his distraught wife.

"Jen? It's alright now, Jen—"

"_What were you thinking!?_" she shrieked.

"Cousin Jennifer, I'm sure Cousin Larry has a very good reason for why he was dangling from the castle window," Balki assured her, and he turned to face Larry. "At least, he _better_ have a good reason."

"Yes, I had an _excellent_ reason; I was trying not to be spotted by the Skeptics, who are plotting an assassination of the royal family!" Larry hissed in an undertone, trying not to let the other villagers hear him, in case any of them understood English.

"But I thought the Skeptics came for a trade agreement?" Mary Anne asked.

"They did, but it went sour fast, and now they're out for blood," Larry said. "And unless we warn the royals, it's going to be the Romanovs all over again!"

"Cousin, the Skeptic dialect can be a little hard to follow," Balki said, slightly nervous. "Are you sure you didn't misunderstand?"

Larry cradled Tucker with one arm and used his free arm to hand over his tape recorder to Balki. He then drew his free arm around Jennifer as Balki played back the tape; Jennifer's expression was unreadable, but she did rest her head on Larry's shoulder, giving his arm a squeeze.

Balki suddenly shut the tape off, looking grim.

"…You were right, Cousin. It was their plan B all along in case things did not work out. They… They want to kill Queen Cookie and have one of them catch her as she falls so that he will be the next ruler of Mypos."

"Can they do that!?" Mary Anne asked.

"Yes, they can," Larry sighed. "Take my word for it. But they won't be able to do it if we can get a warning in—but without creating a stir. We can't let them know that we're on to them—and we can't start a panic among the villagers here."

Balki determinedly planted his foot on a rock.

"I will find a way to warn the royal family," he vowed.

"Me, too," Mary Anne vowed, also planting her foot on a rock.

"Mary Anne, this isn't your fight!" Jennifer protested.

"Jennifer, I'm pretty sure 'For better or for worse' includes helping my husband save his country of origin from a coup," Mary Anne insisted.

Jennifer shook her head in disbelief and looked to Larry, who could only give her an apologetic expression.

"Jen, I'm sorry, but…" He, too, planted his foot on a rock.

"Larry, _why_!?"

"Because it's my fault that Cookie is the queen in the first place!" Larry confessed. "She wasn't the first one to catch Ferdinand when he died—_I_ was! But I knew I'd be a horrible king—I convinced Balki to try to make it seem as though Cookie's husband was going to catch him for the first time, but she caught him instead. …Task failed successfully? I don't know—but everything was going fine until now! And as much as I don't want to get involved, I can't stand back knowing that she's in danger because of my decision!" A pained expression crossed his face. "…That's the problem with having a conscience—it always activates at the worst possible moments."

Balki placed a hand on his shoulder and gave him an encouraging nod.

"We are doing the right thing, Cousin. We will be okay—I know it."

Jennifer sighed deeply, but then planted her foot on a rock, as well.

"…Jen?" Larry asked.

"…'For better or for worse,'" she said, echoing Mary Anne's words. "But I draw the line at Tucker and Robespierre getting involved in this!"

"She's right, Balki," Larry agreed.

"Okay," Balki said. "Mary Anne, you and Cousin Jennifer take the boys to Mama, and then meet Cousin Larry and me back here later—we'll find someone to tell you exactly where to find us."

"Be careful," Mary Anne replied, kissing him.

Jennifer took Tucker back from Larry, kissing him as well.

With a look back, the girls had gone, taking the children with them. After a moment, Balki turned back to his cousin.

"If you have a plan, now would be a good time to share it," he said.

Larry gave him a wan smile.

"Unfortunately, this time, I don't. We're gonna have to wing it, Buddy."

Balki responded with a nod.

"Then let's fly the friendly skies!"

The cousins headed for the castle gate, determined to see this through.


	7. Snowball Fight

_Notes: this was inspired by today's Inktober prompt ("snow") and takes place around season 3._

* * *

The first real snowfall of Chicago was usually the only one that the city residents appreciated; anything beyond that first snow usually was an annoyance once the tedium of winter set in. and even then, the first snowfall was, more often than not, seen as a preview of things to come in the months ahead—a portent of the icy messes winter would bring.

Balki was the one, naturally, who appreciated the snow the most, having grown up with the mild, Mediterranean winters. The others… not so much—having lived in the Midwest all their lives, snow had lost its novelty long, long ago.

Nevertheless, Balki managed to convince the others to accompany him for a walk in Grant Park, but it was still difficult for them to get enthused about it—even Mary Anne, who would always find Balki's quirks endearing, was only just able to keep up, pulling her coat around her as tightly as she could.

"Oh, come on!" Balki said. "When was the last time you three really took the time to appreciate the snow?"

"We did our time," Larry insisted. "Every winter of our lives, it's been the same old story!"

Balki shrugged and walked onward, pausing to admire the icicles hanging from tree branches. Mary Anne made a bit of an effort to accompany him, but even she was finding it hard to share his excitement and fell back with Larry and Jennifer.

"Does anything get him down?" Larry wondered aloud.

"Sometimes, I wonder that, too," Mary Anne agreed.

A cold breeze blew through the park, causing Larry and the girls to cringe.

Jennifer shuddered.

"Ugh… If things are this bad now, I can only wonder what January will be like," she stated.

"Don't say it," Larry pleaded.

"You know I don't have to," she pointed out. "We're in for quite a winter. That means less money coming in for Mary Anne and me—flights will be getting grounded a lot, and a lot of them getting canceled…"

"And that means winter budgeting," Mary Anne added, making a face.

"And I'll probably be working from home a lot," Larry sighed. "…But Balki will probably have to go in to work still—can't exactly bring the mailroom to him. Ah well—at least he actually _likes_ this weather."

"That's what he says now; wait until he has to walk in that wind chill…" Jennifer pointed out.

Mary Anne suddenly let out a yelp, dodging a snowball.

The three looked back at Balki, who was grinning at them.

"Come on, you three!" he called. "I challenge you to a snowball fight!"

"Balki, please…" Larry said, shaking his head. "I had my fill of snowball fights as a kid—you don't know what it's like, growing up with eight other siblings! I had to throw snowballs to survive out there!"

"Ha! Well, then you must have dulled your skills if you are reluctant to face me, then!" Balki challenged.

"Nice try, Buddy, but you're going to have to do better than that to drag me into a snowball fight!"

Larry looked back at the girls with an amused expression.

"He keeps forgetting that I've dealt with all of this before! _Eight_ siblings!"

"Well, maybe so, but you _are_ the first brother he's ever had," Jennifer reminded him. "Well, close enough, anyway."

Larry considered this.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he mused. "Still, I think we're all a little old for this, don't you?"

"I don't know about that; Balki isn't giving up," Mary Anne noted.

Balki threw another snowball their way, and Larry casually sidestepped it.

"I just gotta use the same tactics I did back home," Larry insisted. "He'll lose interest soon enough. Standard trick; it worked on the youngest ones. Of course, Elaine was the one who took more than that to get dissuaded—"

He was cut off as Balki's next snowball got him; snow covered his hair and the side of his face.

"…But, sometimes, you just have to teach them the hard way that you're the better snowball thrower. Excuse me, Ladies…"

Larry scooped up a snowball in each hand and charged. Balki's eyes widened; he had not expected Larry to be dual-wielding snowballs. Quickly realizing that Larry had not been blowing smoke after all, Balki took off, with Larry in hot pursuit, trying to make snowballs on the run.

"Jennifer, do you see what I see?" Mary Anne asked.

"The two of them having fun out there?"

"Well, that… But I also see two guys who are so focused on throwing snowballs at each other that they'd be wide-open to a few snowballs from us."

She gave Jennifer a mischievous smirk, which she returned.

And soon, it was a four-way free-for-all, the cold and the impending winter temporarily forgotten as all cares vanished for a blissful hour.


	8. Mistakes Were Made

_Notes: This was inspired by today's Inktober prompt ("ash") and takes place between season 4 and 5._

* * *

The calm Chicago morning that Balki had been enjoying had abruptly been interrupted by a frantic knocking on the apartment door. Concerned, he opened it, revealing Jennifer and Mary Anne. Jennifer looked absolutely terrified about something, and Mary Anne was trying to comfort her.

"Where's Larry!?" Jennifer exclaimed, too frantic to remember to say hello.

"He's in the shower," Balki said, stunned at her current state. "What is it? What's wrong?"

She opened her mouth, but nothing came out; Balki was reminded of Larry whenever his anxiety took over and he turned into an utter mess. Jennifer's anxiety issues usually weren't as severe as Larry's, but today seemed to be the exception.

"I did… something terrible… And Larry is going to be _furious_ when he finds out…" she managed to say, at last. "Balki, what do you do when you do something really, really terrible and you need to show how sorry you are?"

"Well, on Mypos, we usually sit among the ashes to exhibit the sorrow for our shame…" Balki trailed off as the look on Jennifer's face told him that wasn't the answer she was hoping for. "…What happened?"

Jennifer attempted to say something again, but couldn't. Wordlessly, she cringed and pointed out the window. Balki walked over and look, and immediately saw the cause of her distress—a new and very noticeable dent in the driver's side door of Larry's cherished Mustang.

"Oh, po po…" Balki sighed.

"We all know how much Larry loves that car," Mary Anne added, as Jennifer buried her face in her hands.

"No kidding—he's no Roger Taylor, but that car does mean a lot to him," Balki said, shaking his head. "How did this happen?"

"My car wouldn't start again, and I had to run an errand, so I borrowed Larry's. I parked next to a streetlight, but I didn't realize it was one of those streetlights with those wide, square concrete bases—and I couldn't see it from the driver's seat. I opened the door, and…" She gestured out the window once more and let out a little cry of frustration.

"Okay, okay, it's okay," Balki said, giving her a hug to calm her down. "You are not the first to dent Cousin Larry's car. When I was learning to drive, I dented the fender."

"How did he take it?" Jennifer asked.

"…Not very good," Balki admitted. "But once his meltdown was over, he was okay!"

Jennifer let out another little cry again, prompting Mary Anne to give Balki a look as she hugged Jennifer now.

"That was the wrong thing to say," Balki realized aloud. "But it's true. You both know how Cousin Larry is—he overreacts, but once he pulls himself back in, he's okay again!"

"Balki, it's not just the dent!" Jennifer wailed. "He didn't even know I was borrowing the Mustang!"

It was at this point that Balki noticed that Larry's keys were still on the wall hook.

"…How did you drive the car without the keys…?" he asked.

Jennifer looked absolutely mortified.

"Tell him," Mary Anne ordered.

"Well…" Jennifer said. "You know that Mary Anne and I have very time-sensitive work schedules; if we need to be on time for a flight, we can't be running around trying to get transportation if my car won't start. And my car is a heap of junk—always in the shop, always having issues starting…"

"Jennifer…" Balki said, sternly.

"Okay, okay," she said, getting to the point. "You remember the time you gave me the keys to the Mustang?"

"You bet I do—Cousin Larry was so mad at me because we didn't ask him first…"

"Well… I just assumed… Well, you know how Larry can never refuse me anything, so I just… Well, rather than going to the trouble of asking each time, especially if I was in a hurry to get to the airport…" She held back a sob of guilt and produced another set of keys from her pocket.

"She had a duplicate set made," Mary Anne finished.

"_Jennifer_!" Balki exclaimed, shocked.

"I know! I knew it was wrong!" Jennifer cried. "But all I could think of was how Larry's Mustang was so much better and more reliable than my car, and I know if I asked Larry, he'd say 'yes,' anyway, so I figured, why go through all that each time I needed to borrow it? I'd only use it on the days he wouldn't need to use it to go to work in the mornings anyway. And everything was fine—until today!"

Balki shook his head in disbelief. Usually, it was Larry who dug himself into a pit of lies; now it was clear that Jennifer wasn't all that different from Larry.

"So what now…?" Balki asked.

"Well, I have a plan—"

"Oh, God…" Balki moaned.

"I need you to stall Larry long enough for me to get the Mustang to the shop and get the dent fixed!"

"Well, that's going to be hard; he needs to go in to the _Chronicle_ today and do some last-minute rewrites for the weekend edition," Balki said.

"What!?" Jennifer shrieked.

"I told you—you should just tell him!" Mary Anne said.

"Oh, sure!" Jennifer exclaimed. "Just tell him that I dented his most prized possession after borrowing it for the umpteenth time without asking!? I might as well sit among the ashes; that's all our relationship will be reduced to after he finds out—ashes!"

"No, no, no, no, no!" Balki exclaimed. "Cousin Larry loves that car, yes—but he loves you more! Once he has finished his meltdown, he'll realize it."

"But what if he doesn't!?" Jennifer cried. "Balki, do you realize he's well within his rights to not only break up with me, but _then_ take me to small claims court!?" She trembled. As odd as it seemed, Larry had been her longest-lasting steady relationship, and she had felt more comfortable with him than any of her previous beaus; in spite of the trouble Larry got into (sometimes dragging her along with him), she knew that he meant well—that was evident in the look of utter devotion in his eyes whenever he looked her way. And he never, ever once overstepped his bounds, which was more than she could say for some of her exes—more than one relationship had been terminated on her end for them attempting to betray her trust. How she could have taken Larry for granted like this, she didn't know, but the thought that was terrifying her most of all was the image of that devotion in his eyes being replaced by revulsion, even if she deserved it—for what had she done, if not betraying his trust as well, albeit in a different manner?

Balki and Mary Anne were still trying, in vain, to reassure her, but her panic suddenly increased as they heard the shower turn off in the bathroom. Jennifer sat on the couch, her face buried in her hands once again, shaking like a leaf.

Larry was whistling as he emerged, clad in a bathrobe; he greeted the girls good morning before registering he was in his bathrobe and shyly ducked into his room to change. It was only after he reappeared, fully dressed, that he noted the somber mood of the room, and Jennifer's distraught state.

"What's going on…?" he asked. "Jen? Is everything alright?"

"Oh, Larry!" she cried. "I—"

"Jennifer, I know this would be less of a blow coming from you, but I must be the one to tell him!" Balki interrupted. "Cousin, I had to grab something from the market while you were in the shower; but my car didn't start, so I borrowed yours, and I accidentally got a dent in the door!"

"You did _what_!?" Larry yelled, his eyes wide, missing Jennifer's stunned look as she realized Balki was taking the heat for her.

"I am so sorry, Cousin; I will pay for the repair!"

"You couldn't have waited to ask me!?" Larry demanded. "Nooooo, you just _had_ to go to the market right that instant!?" He made an effort to calm down for a moment before turning to Jennifer and Mary Anne. "Ladies, can you excuse us, please? My cousin and I have a few important things to discuss."

Jennifer glanced at Balki, who gave her a reassuring nod. Sighing, she got up, heading for the door, not missing Mary Anne's disapproving look as she followed.

As the door closed behind them, Jennifer flinched as she heard Larry continue to rant—

"You _know_ how much that car means to me! What was it that you needed so badly that it was worth getting a dent in my door!?"

"…Uh… I don' remember now."

Larry's response was a frustrated growl through gritted teeth.

"We have had this conversation _So! Many! Times!_" he said. "And you just—!"

"Larry, stop!" Jennifer exclaimed, opening the apartment door. "It wasn't Balki; it was me!"

Larry was still facing Balki; she couldn't see his face, but she did see his shoulders go rigid.

"There's no need to cover for me, Jennifer!" Balki said, hastily. "Cousin Larry and I can work this out!"

"Larry, don't listen to him; he's the one covering for me. Look…" She held up the duplicate Mustang keys. "I'm the one with the extra set of keys—not him. I've been borrowing your car whenever something happens to mine for a year now…"

But Larry didn't look; he didn't turn around.

"Balki? Will you and Mary Anne please excuse us?" He paused. "…And I'm sorry, Buddy."

Balki nodded and headed out the door, pausing to give Jennifer a reassuring nod again, though for a different reason. Jennifer stared at Larry's back, the unpleasant feeling in her gut increasing as he crossed to the window and surveyed the damage to the Mustang's door.

"…Larry, I'm so sorry…" she said. "I shouldn't have had the duplicate keys made, and I shouldn't have kept doing this."

She walked over and took his hand, placing the duplicate keys there, but he still didn't move.

"…Larry…?" she asked, quietly.

She waited for what seemed like an eternity for him to turn around, bracing herself for the look of revulsion she dreaded but still deserved. But when he turned to face her, there was no revulsion in his eyes—just a deep look of hurt.

Somehow, that seemed worse.

"It's fine," he finally said, quietly.

It was just as she'd thought; he couldn't refuse her anything—and that included forgiveness.

"Larry—"

"No—really. It took me a moment to remind myself, but it's the same thing I went through when Balki dented the fender years ago. It's just a car, and I shouldn't have put it over someone's feelings—Balki's, or yours." He looked her in the eyes now, and she could feel her heart give a twist as she saw nothing but genuine concern in them. "You're okay? You're not hurt?"

She nodded, and then, overcome, hugged him.

"Oh, Larry, how can I make it up to you?"

He seemed surprised for a moment, but then hugged her back.

"Just… Just ask me next time, huh?"

She nodded.

"I promise," she assured him. _And I'll never take you for granted again_, she silently added.

Larry finally managed a wan smile and then turned to the door.

"Balki? Mary Anne? You two can stop listening at the door and come back in!"

The door opened, revealing the two with very sheepish grins on their faces. And even Jennifer smiled now.

She'd been fortunate that day—and in more ways than one.


	9. Breakthrough

_Notes: this was inspired by today's Inktober prompt ("ornament") and is based off of episode 6x17, "Speak, Memory." The episode ended unresolved, with Larry having lost his memories again, so this is my resolution for it._

* * *

Being unable to remember anything was a terrifying experience, Larry decided. He couldn't sleep—not because of the headache that had started again, but because he simply could not relax, knowing absolutely nothing. The other man who had suggested he sleep—his cousin, as he'd been informed—had seemed to be pushed to his emotional limits, which had prompted Larry to leave him be. Larry hadn't gotten much from him before he had broken down—only that this was, apparently, the fourth time Larry's memory had lapsed that day, and, not knowing what to say to comfort the cousin he couldn't remember, Larry decided to turn in, hoping that sleep would, somehow, help to restore his lost memories.

But sleep was a distant thing when his mind was too busy trying to recall what it had lost—and all in vain, it seemed. Even if he got his memories back, it was likely that they would slip away again.

He got up, heading for the door of the room when he heard a knock on the apartment door. He hesitated at the door of the bedroom—he wouldn't have remembered anyone at the door, anyway…

His cousin now answered the front door, admitting two blonde women inside—one was in a stylish black dress, and the other was in a flight attendant's uniform.

"Hi, Jennifer. Hi, Mary Anne," his cousin said.

"Hi, Balki," Mary Anne replied, kissing him in greeting. "How's Larry doing?"

"Mary Anne's flight came in just after I'd dropped Mother off at the airport," Jennifer explained. "I filled her in on the way home."

"It sounds like an awful day for all of you," Mary Anne added.

"It's not over yet," Balki sighed.

A look of pure dread crossed Jennifer's face.

"He… He didn't lose his memories _again_, did he!?"

"Just after you left," Balki said, with a teary nod. "It's lasting longer this time, and I don' know what to _do_, I…" He choked back a sob. "The doctor says Cousin Larry will get his memories back for good eventually, but… I don't know anymore—what if he is wrong!?"

"Balki, that can't be!" Mary Anne said. "The real Larry has to be in there somewhere—we just have to help him find himself!"

"I tried!" Balki exclaimed. "I tried and I tried, and every time I find him, I lose him again! It's all just…" He trailed off in a language that Larry couldn't remember, but it was clear what he was trying to convey.

Jennifer, who had been quiet all this time, sat, listlessly, on the couch as she glanced at the ring on her left hand.

"I can't _believe_ this. This is a nightmare!" she suddenly cried.

"Jennifer, you and Balki both need to calm down—" Mary Anne began.

"Calm down!? How can I calm down!?" Jennifer retorted. "The man I love doesn't even remember my name! During dinner, he called me _Jessica_!"

"Yes, you told me what a disaster dinner was," Mary Anne said. "But it wasn't as though he was thinking of someone else named Jessica—he was thinking only of you!"

"What's there for him to think about?" Jennifer asked, blinking back tears. "You know, of all the ways I thought I could lose his love, this wasn't one of them."

"Oh, Jennifer…" Balki sighed. "You have lost your true love, and Mary Anne and I have lost our best friend…"

"What!? No, we haven't!" Mary Anne pointed out. "Come on, you two! I told you, the real Larry is still in there! That means that he still loves us—with or without his memories!"

Still listening behind his bedroom door, Larry didn't know what to think. Guilt was gnawing at him—he was bringing such pain to people he apparently loved, even though it was through no fault of his own. But perhaps Mary Anne was right—if he was feeling this guilty over causing them so much distress, didn't that mean that he loved them?

"Do you really think so, Mary Anne?" Balki asked.

"Yes, of course!" she exclaimed. "Balki, even without his memories, Larry trusts you. Without his memories, he shouldn't know who to trust, but he's willing to stay here with you, even if he can't remember that you're his cousin. And Jennifer… When Larry was out there at that restaurant, did he even so much as glance at another woman, even if he couldn't remember you?"

"…No, he didn't," Jennifer realized. "He was completely focused on me and trying to make a good impression on Mother. …He must've been so hurt and confused, and all he could think about was me."

"And he was depending on me for help, just like how I always depend on him," Balki added, quietly.

"You see?" Mary Anne asked. "We just need to keep at it—he's sure to get his memories back for good. What have you been doing the other times?"

"Telling him stories about himself—where he's from, his work at the _Chronicle_, all of his quirks…" Balki said.

"Okay, that's a good start—what else?"

"…That's all I'm usually able to manage before I break down," Balki confessed, his voice breaking again.

"It's okay; we can help now," Mary Anne said, as she and Jennifer each placed a hand on Balki's shoulder. "Stories are good, but you need to give him things to look at—things he can hold and feel. All of the senses play a role in memory—the greatest of all being olfaction."

Balki and Jennifer gave her a blank look.

"…I took biology in college, remember?" she explained. "Okay, now what can we do to help spark his other senses?"

"Well, um… Before this whole thing started, Cousin Larry tried my honey-glazed chicken," Balki said. "He liked it… until I told him about the yak bile."

"Well, okay, he doesn't have to taste it; just smelling it should help," Mary Anne said, as Jennifer's expression became momentarily unreadable. "Heat some of it up."

"He won' be able to smell it now; he's sleeping."

"No, he isn't," Larry said, finally opening the bedroom door.

"Cousin!" Balki exclaimed. He moved to hug him, but paused. "…How are you?"

"Still can't remember anything," Larry sighed. "Look, I'm… I'm sorry. I didn't realize just how upset I was making you all… This is a lot harder on you than it is on me. you don't have to keep doing this; I can try and figure things out on my own."

"No, Cousin—we want you to get better, and we will do whatever we can to help," Balki insisted.

"That's right," Jennifer said, through a shaky voice. "No matter what we're going through now, it'll be worth it if it means you'll come back to us."

"And we've got a lot of things to try," Mary Anne finished. She walked over and took Larry by the hand, leading him to the couch, where all four of them sat.

"But… what happens if none of them work and… I don't come back?" Larry asked. He glanced at Jennifer, and then at the ring she was wearing, as though trying to remember giving it to her.

"Then… Then we'll help you start over with new memories," she promised, her voice still a little shaky.

"That's right," Balki agreed. "You would not abandon us; we won't abandon you, either." He glanced at Mary Anne, who indicated the kitchen. Realizing what she was trying to do, Balki got up. "I'll get you something to eat, Cousin."

"Thanks…" Larry replied, glumly, as Mary Anne went over with Balki to get the chicken ready, along with some other foods.

Jennifer hesitated for a moment, but then rested her head on Larry's shoulder like she usually did. Physically, he seemed exactly the same as always, though she knew that, mentally, he was in a very vulnerable place right now.

Slowly, he drew an arm around her, which prompted her to snuggle in further; she gripped his arm, as though wanting to make sure he wasn't going to slip away from her again.

Balki and Mary Anne soon returned with the chicken and some other things to eat; the scents of the foods were comforting indeed. They certainly _felt_ like home, even if Larry wasn't entirely sure what home was anymore.

Mary Anne now brought out the photo album, and soon, she, Balki, and Jennifer began to reminisce as they paged through the pictures. Larry listened intently to their every word as he stared at each picture. They had certainly been through a lot; it was soon quite clear why they were so invested in trying to get him to remember—all of the stories, good and bad, seemed to have only brought them closer together.

Larry's emotions were mixed; he was on the verge of pulling together bits and pieces of his life from everything they were saying, but he hadn't been able to actually remember anything on his own. Still, he was in a much better spot than before this session.

It was nearly one in the morning when the stories began to be punctuated by a series of yawns.

"We've made definite progress," Mary Anne said, pleased. "I'm sure that if we keep this up, tomorrow, we'll make even more. But Larry needs to sleep; it can only help everything sink in overnight."

"Well, even if it doesn't, thank you so much for trying," Larry sighed. "We'll see you tomorrow, then?"

Mary Anne nodded and kissed Balki goodnight before standing up.

Larry glanced back at Jennifer, who was looking up at him expectantly, still sitting with her hand gripping his arm. Shyly, he leaned over and kissed her goodnight, as well.

It was as they kissed that a hazy image came to his mind—a different apartment, sparsely decorated with a wreath and a few Christmas ornaments, and Jennifer, standing there in the doorway…

He suddenly pulled back from the kiss, staring at her.

"Larry?" she asked, concerned.

"…Mistletoe…" he said, after a moment.

The others looked around, baffled, trying to find the mistletoe that Larry seemed to be referring to.

"No, not here…" he said, still staring at Jennifer. "Another apartment… And you and I kissed there… under the mistletoe."

Balki and Mary Anne exchanged glances as Jennifer now placed her hands on the sides of Larry's face.

"Larry!" she said, in hushed excitement. "You remembered our first kiss!"

"I… I did…?"

She nodded, tears of joy springing to her eyes.

"And you remembered without any prompting from us!" Balki realized aloud.

"It's a breakthrough!" Mary Anne exclaimed, happily.

Larry found himself swept up in a joyous group hug; there was something wonderfully familiar about the feeling.

Any sleepiness the others had now temporarily vanished, as they wanted to ride the wave of the breakthrough. Balki and the girls were soon running around, gathering significant objects to hand to Larry in the hopes of sparking more memories—two trophies, books, his lucky pen… Balki even pulled the tapestry that had been hanging on the wall in Larry's room and handed it to him; Larry had seen the tapestry when he had gone to rest, but, actually holding it, he was beginning to recollect its significance.

"You made this for me…?"

"Yes!"

It was another two hours before exhaustion claimed them all, but in those two hours, more memories had awakened, subsequently awakening others.

Morning found Larry waking up on the couch, surrounded by the others, who were still asleep. Someone—Balki, no doubt—had put the tapestry over him like a blanket. Balki himself was facing away from him, face planted in the arm of the left side of the couch; it must have been terribly uncomfortable, and yet, he was snoring away.

…_He's probably been in even more uncomfortable sleeping positions when tending the sheep on Mypos_, Larry mused. He then froze—he _remembered_ that!?

He looked to his right. On the other end of the couch was Mary Anne, still in her uniform, her arm draped over the couch arm in an attempt to reach for her travel bag; sleep had claimed her before she could've even touched it. Between Mary Anne and him was Jennifer, still using his shoulder as a pillow; still asleep, she was slowly pulling the tapestry off of him and onto her, and Larry realized in amusement that he would have to learn to live with nightly rounds of blanket thievery once they got married. He didn't mind the idea at all.

He was content to stay where he was, relishing being able to recall his memories once again. Between being able to use all of his senses and then being able to sleep, he was hopeful (a rare feeling for him) that, this time, he had everything back for good this time.

Jennifer stirred after some time, waking up. She gave Larry a sheepish smile as she realized that she'd stolen the tapestry from him.

"Good morning," she said, softly, so as not to disturb Balki and Mary Anne.

"Good morning. …Don't I know you from somewhere…? …Kidding! I'm just kidding!" he added, hastily, as he saw the look on her face.

She smacked him on the shoulder with a throw pillow before hugging him in relief.

He hugged her back, and they stayed like that until Balki and then Mary Anne awoke, equally relieved and thrilled that Larry had all of his memories back—hopefully to stay this time.

"Balki… Jen… Mary Anne…" It was almost overwhelming, being able to know and speak their names again. "Thank you… Even if it was temporary, thank you for looking after me when I needed it and never giving up on getting my memories back. I owe you guys _so much_…"

"Cousin, on Mypos, there are no debts between family members," Balki insisted, drawing an arm around him.

"Or between people as close as family," Mary Anne added. "…Well, I mean here, between us."

"They're right, Larry," Jennifer agreed. "We help each other out. It's why you have so many memories worth remembering."

They were all right, of course—had it been one of them stricken with amnesia, he'd have been right alongside the others trying to help them remember.

How ironic; he had initially come to Chicago to enjoy the bliss of solitude and experience living alone for the first time in his life. He got to enjoy it for all of two weeks before Balki had turned up on his doorstep. And not even half a year later, they'd crossed paths with Jennifer and Mary Anne for the first time.

And now, with his memories back, he knew that there would soon be more memorable moments to add to them, on account of the others. That was so much more fulfilling than living alone could ever have been.


	10. Don't Look Back

_Notes: This was inspired by today's Inktober prompt ("misfit") and takes place in early S7. I found it interesting that, based on what Mary Anne lets slip in S5's "Three's a Crowd," it seems that Jennifer had quite a bit of dating trouble in high school; it's also somewhat implied in S6's "Speak, Memory," when Jennifer's mother assesses that Larry would never abandon Jennifer (implying that she didn't have that confidence in any of Jennifer's previous boyfriends). And so, this vignette happened…_

* * *

It was apparent that Balki seemed to be the one most excited about attending Jennifer and Mary Anne's high school reunion in Iowa, even moreso than the girls. If anything, Jennifer had seem somewhat reluctant to go—something that Larry had picked up on, knowing the feeling all too well; Larry had tossed the invitation to his high school reunion a couple years ago directly into the trash, having no desire to see the likes of Bunky McDermott or Becky Jo Quinn ever again, and knowing that Balki would have begged him to go and take him with him if he'd found out about it. Of course, irony had a funny way of doing things, and Bunky McDermott had ended up finding Larry anyway in Chicago a year ago—and Larry found out the hard way that Bunky was still the mean-spirited leader of the in-crowd that he'd always been.

He'd moved past that, but he knew the memory of it would linger—and there were, clearly, some unpleasant memories lingering for Jennifer. She didn't talk much about her high school days, but from the bits and pieces that Mary Anne had shared, it was clear that the both of them had been late bloomers, and Jennifer especially so—from apparently not being able to keep a boyfriend to even going dateless to the senior prom.

Whatever else she had been through, Larry was determined not to let it ruin the evening tonight; he would remain calm and as charming as he could and show that Jennifer had done well for herself and had married happily.

She was still visibly nervous as they approached the doors to the rented reception hall where the reunion was being held; she caught his eye, and he gave her a reassuring nod—he did, after all, know exactly where she was coming from, having been the awkward one during his teen years, as well. She did seem to take some reassurance from his, and when he offered his arm, she happily linked her arm through his and entered the hall.

Jennifer had worn her very best evening gown for the occasion to make a good impression on her former classmates, but Larry (in a pressed tuxedo) wasn't even looking at the dress; his eyes were on her face, as he was still incredibly smitten with his newlywed bride.

Behind them, Mary Anne, also in an evening gown, entered with Balki, clad in his Myposian tuxedo. Mary Anne seemed a little nervous herself, though she seemed far more ready to put her feelings behind her and try to enjoy the evening.

Jennifer found herself wishing that she could do the same.

They dined and danced a little bit, but when it came time for mingling, there was very little that the other guests seemed to have to say to Jennifer and Mary Anne. They were definitely recognized—they received some cordial greetings, but, for the most part, they seemed extremely out of place, despite the familiar faces and settings all around them. As their discomfort increased, even Balki's enthusiasm began to rapidly wane.

Larry drew an arm around Jennifer and was about to suggest that they duck out early when someone else called out to the group.

"Hey, Lyons! Spencer!"

A group of women were headed their way, most of them following the one in the lead; Larry was forcefully reminded of Bunky McDermott, but he didn't say anything—he just tightened his hold around Jennifer, who had suddenly gone rigid at the sight of the other women. Mary Anne also seemed to be distressed by their arrival, as well, clutching Balki's hand and squeezing it with such force that he looked at her in surprise.

The woman in the lead surveyed Mary Anne and Balki for a moment before turning to Larry and Jennifer.

"Lyons, it's been a while," she said.

Jennifer hesitated in her reply, and suddenly took Larry's left hand in hers, holding them up to show off their wedding rings.

"It's Appleton now," she said.

"Really?" the lady replied with a smirk. "Well, as I recall, your problem wasn't finding a man—it was _keeping_ him."

Jennifer blanched and Larry indignantly drew their hands back so that he could embrace her fully again.

"Those days are in the past," Larry insisted.

The woman surveyed Larry with a smirk as her friends giggled derisively.

"I give it six months before you realize you could've done better." She ignored Larry's furious sputtering and turned back to Jennifer. "You've still got nothing to offer, have you? Shallow and neurotic as ever, and only a handful of dollars to your name? Nobody wants a misfit, Lyons."

"You are way, _way_ out of line, Moon," Mary Anne snapped, her voice uncharacteristically cold.

"I suppose you got yourself hitched, Spencer?" Miss Moon queried.

"…Not yet, but I'm hopeful," she admitted, squeezing Balki's hand again.

"Well, you've got a better chance than Lyons, at any rate. You, at least, have personality. But not much else… Just another misfit."

"How you can say such terrible things to Mary Anne and Cousin Jennifer?" Balki asked, stumbling over his English in his shock. "They are kind and caring, and they don' toss around cruel words like you are doing! That makes them the most beautiful women in the room! They shouldn't believe your _babasticki_!"

Miss Moon arched her eyebrows as Balki spoke; Mary Anne was looking at him in admiration, but Miss Moon didn't seem dissuaded.

"Well, I see why you were attracted to Spencer—you're just another misfit." She looked at Larry again. "And what about you?"

"I think you ought to leave," Larry responded, tranquil fury evident in his voice.

Balki looked over at his cousin in concern; he knew from experience that if Larry was _quiet_ and angry, then it was a much more serious—and almost always righteous—anger than his usual default bluster.

Miss Moon seemed to sense that she was treading on thin ice and walked away with her entourage. Mary Anne sighed in relief to see her go, but Jennifer still didn't move, her face red with embarrassment.

"Everyone… I'm sorry…" she said, after a moment, her voice breaking.

"Jen, you don't have to be sorry about anything!" Larry exclaimed, gently touching the side of her face.

"That's right—you were not the one saying terrible things about people!" Balki agreed.

"Balki, she's upset that we were insulted," Mary Anne said, gently. "That group of girls were the popular ones when Jennifer and I were in high school. They didn't like us very much, and being shunned and insulted by them wasn't very good for our social lives."

"I didn't want to come here at first," Jennifer admitted. "But then I thought about it, and I wanted them to see that…" She trailed off.

"…See that you got the marriage and the life they thought you couldn't have?" Larry finished.

She nodded, blinking back tears; Larry held her close as Balki and Mary Anne each put a hand on her shoulders.

"Now I understand why you wanted to go to Bunky McDermott's party last year," she added. "I should've realized this would've ended the same way for me…"

"Well, at least you don't have a sunburn?" Larry offered. His heart lightened a little to see the traces of a smile cross her face for a moment. "And Jen, whatever she said about… Well, all that… _babasticki_," he added, borrowing his cousin's appropriate description of it. "You know it isn't true, right?" He knew she knew it wasn't true, but he also knew all too well how anxiety worked—how reassurance was sometimes everything.

"I know," she said. "But even the thought of you losing interest in me because you found someone better…"

"I _couldn't_ find anyone better!"

"…Larry, that's so sweet of you to say, but there _are_ women better than me."

"Well, you're the best for each other," Mary Anne pointed out.

"Mary Anne's right!" Balki exclaimed. "All four of us are best for each other—the best of friends. That is how you know you will both have a long and happy marriage—so many years you have already spent as friends, getting closer and closer."

Mary Anne gave him a hopeful look—this was as close to an allusion of an eventual marriage between Balki and herself that she'd heard him say, and she would hold onto it—for what he described about Larry and Jennifer surely applied to them, too.

Balki now drew one arm around Larry and Jennifer, and the other arm around Mary Anne.

"We may be four misfits… but we sure do fit together pretty well, huh?"

"We sure do, Buddy," Larry replied. He looked around at his wife and their best friends. The smile had finally made its way to Jennifer's face in full. "Well, how about we misfits duck out of here early and enjoy a night on the town—just the four of us?"

"It sounds wonderful," Jennifer agreed.

And Balki and Mary Anne eagerly nodded.

They practically bolted out the door and into the night, not sure what was in store for them, but knowing that they would enjoy it together.


	11. In the Lap of the Gods

_Notes: this vignette was inspired by today's Inktober prompt ("treasure") and takes place post-series; it also takes place directly before vignette #6 ("Wrong Place at the Wrong Time") from earlier in this collection, as I'd briefly mentioned the squad traveling to Athens for Larry to get a story on the uncovering of a previously undiscovered temple to Athena. And I have another reference to Season 3's "The Horn Blows at Midnight" again, since I love that episode so much...  
_

_My portrayal of Athena in this vignette is meant to be Palutena from the Kid Icarus/Super Smash Bros series, and the artifacts that she shows off to Larry are meant to be the Three Sacred Treasures; I try to have all of my fics across different fandoms in a shared timeline._

* * *

The discovery of the previously unrecorded temple to Athena Parthenos had garnered a lot of attention indeed. Athens was a veritable maze of people trying to get a look at the uncovered ruins and see if they could uncover some possibly hidden treasures. Jennifer and Mary Anne took one look at the crowd and opted to stay at the hotel with Tucker and Robespierre.

Larry's press badge had gotten him farther than most of the crowd, with Balki sticking close to him as his interpreter. Still, it wasn't long before parts of the crowd managed to get past the barriers and into the restricted areas. Larry and Balki found themselves separated by the mad tide of people, and in his attempts to fight against the crowd and find his cousin, Larry found himself further jostled by the swarm of people.

It only ended after Larry, pressed up against one of the temple walls, suddenly felt the wall move. The portion of the wall he was pressed up against spun 180 degrees, depositing him in a dark tunnel. And a search with a flashlight offered no way to activate the wall into spinning him back to the outside.

"Ohhh, no…" he murmured, in the verge of panic. "Oh no, oh no, oh no…" He frantically hammered on the stone wall with his palm. "Balki!? Anyone!? I'm trapped behind the wall!"

The crowd would be too noisy for anyone to hear him, he realized. He would have to take his chances and follow the tunnel, hoping that it would lead to a way out and not into an ancient trap.

He barely paid attention to the carvings and ancient writing on the tunnel walls—the only thing that got his attention was a light at the end of the tunnel.

Larry broke into a run, eager to find a way out, but the tunnel didn't lead to the outside; he found himself in a room made completely of marble, the light coming from lit torch brackets on the walls. There was a small reflective pool of crystal-clear water in the center of the room that had a large marble column rising from it, and, sitting on the edge of the pool, looking at Larry in curiosity, was a woman in very odd clothes—her dress seemed like something from ancient times, like Larry had seen in carvings and statues, and her hair was bedecked with ornaments and jewelry. And a staff rested in one hand, with a shield in the other.

"Ah, excuse me," Larry said. "I'm not sure who you are or how you got here—but if you know the way out, I'd appreciate you telling me."

"Certainly, I know the way out," she said, with a gentle smile. "This temple was built for me."

Larry blinked.

"…This temple was built for Athena Parthenos," he said.

"Yes, that's one of my names," she said. "I have had many over the centuries—Athena, Minerva, Parthena, Pallas Athena, Palutena…"

"…You know what? On second thoughts, I think I'll just try to find the way out myself. Sorry to bother you," Larry said, moving to make a hasty retreat as he presumed the woman to be out of her mind—why else would she claim to be an ancient Goddess!?

He turned, contemplating going back through the tunnel when she spoke again—

"I really _can_ point you towards the quickest way out, Lawrence."

He turned back, momentarily wondering how on Earth she could've known his name—until he realized she must have seen it on his press badge.

"Oh, that's good. That's really good. You really had me going there for a moment," Larry said. "But I really have to get out of here before my family starts worrying about my disappearance."

"That isn't the way out, Lawrence; that tunnel only goes one way—in," the woman chided, as Larry moved to go back through the tunnel.

He ignored her, and, all of a sudden, Larry walked smack into what felt like a glass wall. Blinking, he saw that a reflective, glass-like material was blocking the way through the tunnel that had not been there only moments before.

He whirled back around, gingerly rubbing his nose and staring as he saw the woman holding her shield up; an unearthly aura surrounded her.

"I told you, you're going the wrong way!" she chided. She indicated another exit behind her, at the far side of the room. "_That_ is the way out."

"How… How are you doing that…?" he stammered.

She lowered the shield, and the aura vanished; Larry turned back and waved his hand in front of him, but the barrier had vanished.

"Okay. Okay," he said, running a hand through his brunet curls as he turned back to face the woman. "That's _also_ a really great trick—very nice."

"You truly are a stubborn one, aren't you, Lawrence?" she asked, amused. "I'm sure Balki would readily believe my identity."

"Balki would believe almost anything…" He trailed off again and then pointed at her. "Aha, you heard me calling for him back there!"

She responded with a serene smile before speaking again—

"But you didn't call for Jennifer or Mary Anne—but that makes sense, since they didn't come to my temple."

Larry struggled to come up with an explanation for that; even as he did, the woman continued—

"You are Lawrence Appleton—in some ways, a truly ordinary man. You are the modern equivalent of a scribe, seeking to have your words read by others. Yet, you also yearn for comforts of wealth and luxury."

"…Doesn't everyone?" Larry defended.

"But in other ways, you are quite extraordinary," she continued. "By all accounts, you should not even be standing here alive—I understand that, six years ago, a seer predicted your demise at the hands of a Reaper. I must tell you, Thanatos was certainly baffled by your escape from that fate—he thought he had you, quite literally, dead to rights…"

Larry had no retort for that; the only ones who knew about Claire Hayden's prophecy were himself, Balki, Jennifer, and Mary Anne—not even Claire herself had been able to remember what she had said in the trance.

The woman stood up now.

"You came here for a story, but you also came here for treasure, did you not?" she said.

"…Um…"

"Then gaze upon this!" she finished, raising her glowing staff.

The marble column in the middle of the pool suddenly opened up to reveal that it was hollow—and levitating inside of it was a suit of ancient, winged armor that looked as though it was lined with gold, a reflective shield also edged with gold, and a golden-edged bow with a quiver of brightly gleaming arrows.

"…_Oh, my Lord_…!" Larry sputtered, his eyes wide.

"I am willing to give all this to you—all I ask a small personal token in exchange," she said.

"Name it!" Larry exclaimed.

"Hmm, let's see… Gold for gold? That ring on your left hand?"

Larry's face fell as he glanced at the ring she was talking about.

"Wha…? But… This is my wedding ring!" he protested. "I haven't taken it off since Jennifer put it on me…!"

"Hmm, perhaps that _is_ asking too much…" she admitted. "Very well, how about that watch on your wrist? Or that silver tie clasp?"

Larry glanced at the watch and the tie clasp.

"Well… Well… It sounds like a great deal but…" He sighed, wincing. "Balki gave me the tie clasp and Mary Anne gave me the watch. They didn't even have a special occasion for it, either…."

"Very well; let's see…" she mused. "Ah, surely you don't mind parting with that handkerchief in your chest pocket—the one with the tassel tied to it? It looks like a child scribbled on it!"

"…That's exactly what it is," Larry said, placing his hand on the handkerchief. "My son got ahold of a Sharpie, and… improved on it, I guess. …The tassel was from Balki and Mary Anne's son."

"…So that's a 'no,' as well?" she asked.

"Yeah," Larry sighed. "I bought the cufflinks myself—I don't suppose you want those?" He wasn't surprised when she shook her head. "Yeah. Yeah, I thought as much." He glanced, wistfully, at the treasures in the marble column. "…You really _are_ Athena Parthenos," he realized.

"What makes you say that?"

"The Goddess of Wisdom and Light?" Larry said. He indicated the treasures in the column. "I realize the point you were trying to make."

She smiled again, the column closing back around the treasures as she lowered her staff.

"Then I'm glad you realized it," she said. "You are loved, Lawrence—so very loved. There is nothing wrong with chasing fortune as long as you never forget that, for you will never find treasures as fulfilling as the ones you carry with you now."

Larry nodded, slightly overcome.

"I, um… I need to get back to them…"

She waved her staff again, creating a door next to Larry.

"Then go to them," she encouraged.

He didn't question how she had made the door; after only a moment's hesitation, he went through it, suddenly stumbling as he ended up instantly outside the temple walls, nearly crashing into Balki, who was trying to explain what had happened to Jennifer and Mary Anne, who had arrived with the children.

"Cousin Larry!" he exclaimed, hugging him in relief.

"Oh, Larry, are you alright!?" Jennifer asked, placing her free hand on the side of his face.

"Balki called and said you got separated from him in the crowd; we didn't know where you'd ended up, so we came over here hoping to find some sort of clue as to where you went," Mary Anne said.

"I'm okay," he promised them. "But am I ever glad to see you all again…"

He hugged Balki back, and then Mary Anne and Robespierre, before kissing Jennifer and taking Tucker in his arms. Tucker, happy to see his father again, babbled in baby language, apparently telling him about his day.

Larry listened intently, only pausing to turn to the others and silently nod in the direction of the hotel.

"Cousin, are you sure?" Balki asked, knowing that Larry probably hadn't had much time to talk to the excavation team yet.

Larry responded with a nod; there'd be plenty of time for interviewing later—perhaps after the crowd dissipated.

For now, he would take Athena's advice and appreciate what he had.


	12. Irreplaceable

_Notes: this vignette, which takes place in early S7, was inspired by today's Inktober prompt ("dark") and also by the scene from episode 2x5, "Life Savers," when Balki was checking Larry's breathing while he was sleeping and seemingly couldn't see any evidence of breathing—between that scene, and the following scene in that episode where Larry ends up revealing that he was "born three weeks early," it's more than likely that he has undiagnosed sleep apnea, so this piece happened._

_I reference Season 3's "The Horn Blows at Midnight" again. There may be a day when I stop referencing it, but it is not _this_ day_.

* * *

It had been a grueling journey for Jennifer, trying to come home from the last leg of an international flight. Rome to London had been particularly smooth, but London to Chicago had been met with so many delays, including a slight diversion due to inclement weather. It was one in the morning by the time the plane had landed at O'Hare, and it had been nearly another hour to clear customs; by the time she had made it home, it was 3:00, and the house was dark. She hoped the others hadn't been waiting up for her too long.

The challenge now was getting to bed without waking the others up. Slowly, she opened and closed the front door, removing her shoes and heading up the stairs, skipping the fifth stair—it creaked. She made it to the upper landing and tiptoed to the master bedroom, once again opening and closing the door as slowly as she could.

She let out a quiet sigh. Good—she'd avoided waking Balki and Mary Anne, at least.

She was distracted by how cold the room felt; was there something wrong with the heat? She and Larry would have to deal with that in the morning, she decided.

She glanced at Larry, who was asleep on the bed; the moonlight was streaming through the window, right on him, but it didn't seem to disturb him at all. His right hand was on the phone, which he had placed beside him, which prompted Jennifer to smile—he'd been ready to go pick her up if she'd called.

Gently, she moved his hand and put the phone back on the bedside table, and moved to go change, but she paused, suddenly feeling uneasy.

Something was wrong.

She glanced back at her husband, taking note of how her presence hadn't disturbed him at all. In fact, he was absolutely still.

"…Larry…?" she asked, no longer bothering with trying not to disturb him. She gently touched his shoulder, giving him a gentle nudge.

Larry didn't move. Her eyes went to his chest, which was also illuminated by the moonlight. She waited for several moments, waiting to see his chest rise and fall.

It didn't.

And with that realization that she was watching her true love slip away in front of her eyes, Jennifer felt her world crumbling to dust all around her.

"Larry!? LARRY!?" she cried, gently placing her hands on the sides of his face. He was still warm to the touch—maybe it wasn't too late!? "Larry, don't leave me—_please don't leave me_!"

She was trembling, but in doing so, she had adjusted the position of his head and neck; suddenly, Larry let out a gasp, and his chest started rising and falling again, rapidly, as his body instinctively tried to compensate for the temporary oxygen loss.

Jennifer stared, listening to his gasps for air, hardly daring to hope.

"Larry…!?"

She shook him again, more forcefully this time, and with a sleepy mumble, he opened his eyes.

"Jen…? You're home…!" he managed to say, before needing to catch his breath again. He seemed surprised at this, and she just stared at him.

Jennifer didn't even notice the flurry of activity out in the corridor as the landing light clicked on, and then as the door to the master bedroom opened and their light clicked on, as well.

Standing in the doorway were Balki and Mary Anne; Mary Anne was still struggling with removing her sleep mask.

"Cousin Jennifer?" Balki asked. "What happened!? Is Cousin Larry okay!?"

"I'm fine, Balki," Larry managed to say, though he was still out of breath. "Why do you ask?"

"Why? We heard Jennifer scream loud enough to wake the dead, that's why!" Mary Anne exclaimed.

Jennifer paled at this description, realizing that might have been just what she had done. With another cry, she buried her face in Larry's chest, much to his concern.

"Jen!? Jen, what is it!? I'm alright, Jen—I promise! You must've had a bad dream!"

"It wasn't a dream!" Jennifer retorted, looking up now. "I'd just walked in here, and you weren't breathing, Larry—not until I moved you! I thought… I thought I'd lost you…!" Her voice broke, and she buried her face in her hands, crying.

Still confused, but now very concerned for his distraught wife, Larry struggled to sit up so that he could comfort her, gently drawing her into a hug.

"Jen, really, I'm alright," he said. "Maybe you mistook something in the dark?"

Jennifer was about to say something to defend herself, but she found support from another voice—

"She didn't mistake it, Cousin," Balki said. "It's happened again…"

"Again!?" Jennifer exclaimed, looking at Balki. "This happened before—he stopped breathing in his sleep!?"

"Yes, five years ago," Balki said, his voice trembling at the very memory. "He… He'd fallen asleep on the couch, and I thought he looked too still… I… I checked his breathing; I took a pot lid and stuck it under his nose to make sure—nothing! I pulled on his eyelids to see if his eyes were clouded over, but that's when he woke up, breathing again."

"Are you sure you didn't mistake something, either?" Larry asked him.

"I beg to take issue," Balki retorted. "The lights were on, and _you_ were _out_."

"It sounds like sleep apnea," Mary Anne said, concerned. "For people who have it, sometimes, they just stop breathing while they sleep. Usually, they start breathing on their own again."

Jennifer, Larry, and Balki gave her a look of confusion.

"…I once had a passenger who was a sleep specialist; she talked about a lot of interesting things," Mary Anne explained, with a shrug. "But, anyway, one of the things she said was that since people with sleep apnea usually start breathing again on their own, they may sometimes go undiagnosed until their lack of breathing is noticed by a family member."

"You… You mean to tell me that Cousin Larry has been not breathing at night for the last five years!?" Balk exclaimed. "No _wonder_ Mr. Death has his number…!"

"Well, there's no way to know for sure," Mary Anne said. "If he has been, then he's really, really lucky that he started breathing again on his own all those times that no one else was there to check on him. And, Larry, you really should see a specialist just in case that is what's been going on. I mean, call me crazy, but the whole breathing thing is kind of important."

"I… Um… Yeah," Larry said. He glanced at Jennifer, who was still looking at him with tears in her eyes, and he gently reached a hand out to dry them, and she responded by burying her face in his chest again, hugging him tightly, as though determined not to let him slip away again. "Oh, Jen…"

"Larry…" she said, softly. "Don't ever forget that you're irreplaceable. Whatever this is… Please, don't let it take you from me. From us."

"I… I'll try my hardest," he promised.

"You'd better."

There was an awkward silence now; Jennifer still didn't move, still terrified, and Larry was still trying to comfort her. He cast a helpless glance at Balki and Mary Anne, every fiber of his being trying to stay calm, knowing that if he let his anxieties take hold, it would only make Jennifer more upset.

"I'll go make us some hot cocoa," Mary Anne said, after a moment.

"Yeah, good idea—I'll help you," Balki agreed.

"No…" Larry said, wincing. "Please—you two don't have to stay up because of this. I'll be fine."

"Cousin, we don' mind," Balki insisted.

"What are friends for?" Mary Anne added.

They headed downstairs, and Larry could hear Balki talking about that time five years ago, and how scared he had been.

He exhaled in defeat, tightening his hug around Jennifer.

Suddenly, he was afraid, as well.

"…I don't want to leave you," he managed to say. "I want to be a part of your lives, I…" All he could think about now was Claire Hayden's prophecy, and now this… "…Why me…?"

She looked up at him now, realizing that he was trying to bottle up his own fears for her sake.

"I don't know why," she said. "You've been through so much as it is, but apparently Death doesn't want to leave you alone."

"Maybe it's Mr. Death's way of trying to wear me down and get me to give up…" Larry realized. He glanced back at Jennifer. "But I won't. I've got too much to live for. I've got you and Balki and Mary Anne, and all of you are there to help me fight this." He paused for a moment. "Thank you… for saving my life."

Jennifer managed a nod, still not letting him go. They were still looking into each other's eyes when they noticed something flickering in the dark, shadowy corner of the room, as though it had suddenly moved through the window.

They both turned, having both seen it out of the corner of their eyes.

There was nothing—at least _now_. The coldness of the room was suddenly going away, as well.

They turned back to each other, nervous.

"…Larry…?"

"…He's going to have to try harder than that."

Balki and Mary Anne soon returned with the hot chocolate, the both of them pausing as they noticed the difference in the room, as well.

Soon, Balki and Mary Anne were in chairs beside the bed, and all four of them were drinking the chocolate and trying to reassure each other. Jennifer was slouched against Larry, resting her head on his chest still, a part of her mindful of Larry's heartbeat and breathing.

She forced herself not to think about what could have happened had she arrived only just a few minutes later. Just as Larry had promised he would keep fighting, so would she—Death would have to go through her first to get to him.

For now, though, she would draw comfort from the steady beating of her husband's heart.


	13. It's a Hard Life

_Notes: This vignette was inspired by today's Inktober prompt ("ride") and takes place after the events of episode 5x13, "Because They're Cousins," and also references the events of episode 5x2, "Lie-Ability."_

* * *

The thunder was so loud that it could be heard even from the basement of the _Chronicle_ building. Larry flinched at the sound of it as he typed away at his desk, and even Gorpley, who has in a grumpy mood having to cover for Balki on his day off (he'd requested it in order to see his Myposian cousin Bartok off at the airport that day), paused for a moment to listen to it after finishing the day's work.

"Nothing like a cold, stormy downpour," he sneered.

"Mmm-hmm," Larry returned, continuing to type.

"Have fun getting soaked in it, Appleton."

Larry looked up now, giving Gorpley an unamused glance.

"I have absolutely no intentions of getting soaked in that storm," he returned. "My Mustang can handle this weather just fine."

"Ah, but it's _not_ your Mustang anymore—or did you forget that you came here this morning on the bus?"

Larry froze, and then facepalmed. Of course… How could he have forgotten that he'd sold his cherished Mustang to pay for his sister Elaine's Julliard tuition? It was truly ironic—he'd timed the purchase of the Mustang just a week before leaving Madison for Chicago just so that he could avoid sharing it with his eight other siblings—and, lo and behold, one of them had _still_ caused him to give it up.

"Like I said, Appleton, have fun getting soaked," Gorpley smirked. "I am heading home in _my_ cozy, warm car—a car that no one can make me sell because I, unlike _some_ people, am not a patsy."

Larry shot him a glare now.

"What did you say!?"

"You heard me, Appleton. You're a living doormat—which is why you're stuck down here in the basement, because you let Marshall and Walpole take credit for your best work. Bartokomous shows up on your doorstep four years ago, and you take him in like the fool you are—you've got yourself an idiot under your care, and you can't even write him off on your taxes! And now, you're going to have to wait in the rain for the bus like the rest of the peasants because you sold your car to give the money to your sister—and you can't write that off, either! Oh, and your stewardess girlfriend—how often do you actually _see_ her? If she were my girlfriend, I wouldn't let her out of my sight—and _you_ let her gallivant halfway around the world, serving drinks to first-class passengers who will be richer and more successful than you can ever hope to be! Are you _asking_ her to leave you for someone else? Because that's what it looks like from over here. Face it, Appleton—you're going nowhere fast, and you're going to be left behind, because no one cares about a loser."

Larry had stood up now, slamming his hands on his desk, but anything he had intended to say was preempted by a familiar voice clearing his throat.

"Appleton, I highly suggest you stop yourself now before you do something you regret," Mr. Wainwright instructed. "And Gorpley, if you have nothing better to do than antagonize Appleton, perhaps it is in your best interest to leave."

Larry stood frozen, silently thanking providence that he hadn't reacted in front of his boss, who had descended down the staircase with Lydia.

Gorpley merely shrugged.

"Of course, Sir. I'm out of here." He headed for the parking garage, pausing on his way out. "Have a nice bus trip, Appleton."

Larry still didn't move—he didn't say anything until Wainwright addressed him again.

"Appleton—"

"Sir, I can explain everything—!"

"There's no need to explain anything, Appleton. Gorpley has the unfortunate knack of pushing everyone's buttons. It would just mean a lot of unpleasant HR fallout if you ended up retaliating, and you don't need that right now."

"…Yeah, that's right. Thank you, Sir."

"And anyway, Larry," Lydia added. "I'm the resident advice columnist around here, not Sam—and if you want _my_ advice, I would suggest not taking the advice of a divorced misanthrope who flinches at the word 'alimony.' Sam's certainly gifted in the physical department, but that's about all he has going for him." She paused, noting the odd look that Larry and Wainwright were both giving her. "…Well, nevermind. If you'll excuse me, I need to go frontload my advice column so that I can take my vacation next week."

She headed off, leaving Wainwright looking back at Larry.

"Appleton, I suggest pulling yourself together and calling it a day; you've been working late for the last several days, and it's already late tonight as it is."

"But, Sir, I want this article to be perfect…!"

"Then get a good rest and give me your best tomorrow."

"…Yes, Sir. Thank you," he mumbled.

He waited a few minutes to collect himself after Wainwright left, gathered his things together, and, with a sigh, steeled himself and headed out into the downpour, running for the bus stop. He knew Lydia was right about Gorpley's "advice" being worthless, and yet… Gorpley wasn't wrong about everything, was he? Larry certainly did feel like he was trapped, going nowhere fast, as Gorpley had said. And perhaps he _was_ too nice for his own good—but was that really why he trapped? Reduced to an insignificant blip on the radar of the world?

He exhaled, feeling the familiar grip of depression and self-loathing closing its cold fingers around him. Flinching as the wind blew the rain into his face and lightning cracked overhead, he had to slow down as he made his way to the bus stop, hoping that the bus wasn't running late. …Of course, knowing his luck, it would be par for the course if it _was_ late…

He was jolted out of his thoughts by a car pulling up alongside him bedside the curb, and stared, blankly, as the passenger window lowered, revealing Harriette. He blinked in surprise; he hadn't seen much of Harriette since she was no longer the elevator operator and had moved up to the assistant director of security for the _Chronicle_ building.

"Larry!" she chided. "Get in here before you catch pneumonia!"

"I… But I'm soaked!" he said, having to raise his voice to be heard over the wind and rain.

"_Larry_!" she said again, more sternly this time.

He got the message; he stumbled into the front passenger seat, shivering from having been out in the cold rain. He glanced into the mirror, sighing as he saw that he had been so soaked, the rain had taken the curls out of his hair, plastering his hair down instead; he also flinched as he saw the rain he was bringing in with him.

"I'm sorry about—"

"Don't you even think about it," she instructed.

Larry gave a glum nod.

"You alright?" Harriette continued, as she pulled back out into traffic. "Mr. Wainwright said that you having a bad day and could use a ride home; I'm glad I caught you before you got even more soaked."

"Um… Well… You don't need to hear my problems."

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to hear them," she pointed out.

Larry nodded and tried to undercut his woes, but the dam eventually burst and it all came out—what Gorpley had said, and how Larry couldn't help but feel there was some truth to it. In spite of Lydia insisting otherwise.

"Alright, let's handle this one at a time," Harriette said. "First of all, Mr. Wainwright is no fool—he knows what's been going on with Marshall and Walpole. He was an investigative reporter, too, you know—he's collecting evidence, too."

"Hmm…" Larry sighed.

"Now, as for the other things Gorpley brought up—you selling your car for your sister's tuition, taking Balki in, and you letting Jennifer focus on her career, even if it means a lot of time apart… You've got to ask yourself why you made those choices. Let's start with Balki."

"Well… What was I supposed to do?" Larry asked. "He's family, and he'd just traveled thousands of miles, needing a place to stay; I couldn't turn him away! He didn't know anything about life in a big city like Chicago; he wouldn't have lasted without help!"

"And four years later, he's still here."

"He's my best friend now," Larry said. "I can't imagine life without him."

"Okay, and what about your sister?"

"Elaine and I were always the closest among the nine of us," Larry explained. "She always looked up to me; she was just asking me to help her out of another jam. I didn't _want_ to sell my Mustang, but the thought of her dreams being crushed because she couldn't afford to go to Julliard…" He shook his head.

"And Jennifer?" Harriette asked.

"Jennifer loves her work—she loves being able to travel around the world. And she's always bringing me back souvenirs, so I know she's still thinking of me, even when we're apart. …I don't like being separated like that, of course, but…" He sighed. "I love her, Harriette—I just want her to be happy, and I don't want to be one of those jerkish boyfriends who tries to keep a girl on a leash. Even if… Even if I worry some first-class Casanova will try to sweep her off of her feet… I know that's just my anxiety talking. I trust her—just like how she trusts me not to chase after other women when she's not here."

"So, it sounds to me that everything you did for Balki, Elaine, and Jennifer, you did out of love," Harriette finished. "Gorpley is where he is today because of his selfishness. I know you say you have problems with being selfish, too, but you always put your loved ones first in the end, and that's the difference between you and Gorpley. That's why he's the one divorced and alone, and why you've got something he doesn't have."

"He's got money."

"But you've got something better," Harriette finished, as she pulled up to Caldwell Avenue. "And if you don't believe me, go through those doors and see for yourself."

Larry sighed again, but looked back at Harriette.

"Thanks for the ride," he said. "And the talk."

"Anytime, Larry. You hang in there, alright?"

Larry nodded, and made a mad dash from the car to the interior of the building. Still soaked, he trudged up to his floor, pausing as he heard Mary Anne's voice coming from inside the apartment he shared with Balki.

He opened the door, seeing Mary Anne on the phone.

"Oh, Lydia, he just walked in!" she said, as she saw him. "Sure thing—thanks for letting us know! Bye!" She put the phone down and ran over to him, and Jennifer darted out of the kitchenette, also running over to him.

"Oh, Larry, you're soaking…" Jennifer fretted. "You didn't walk _all_ the way in the rain, did you!?"

"Harriette gave me a ride…"

"Well, thank goodness for that!" Mary Anne exclaimed, and she turned her head to Larry's room. "We wanted to pick you up at work, but we had no idea how late you'd be working. Balki! Larry's back!"

"Oh, Cousin!" Balki exclaimed, dashing out of Larry's room with his pajamas and robe. "Here, I knew you would want to change, so I ironed these so they would be warm for you."

"And I've made a summer corn soup," Jennifer said. "I'll get you some while you go change."

"And I'll go get my hairdryer," Mary Anne added, leaving to do just that.

Somewhat dazed, Larry went to his room to change out of his wet clothes and into the dry pajamas, which were wonderfully warm. The robe was also warm, as well, and he was feeling much better when he went back to the living room. Mary Anne handed him the hairdryer, and after he'd finished with it and his curls were back in place, he handed it back to her with a heartfelt thanks and sat down on the couch, gratefully taking the soup from Jennifer.

The others were soon beside him on the couch as he drank the soup, which was both delicious and warming. He gave a quiet, contented sigh.

"Did Bartok make it out of Chicago alright?" he asked.

"He did," Balki said. "His plane left just before the rain started. Oh, and Cousin Elaine called!"

"She did?"

"She was asking about you," Mary Anne said. "And she wanted us to tell you that she got a 4.0 in her first semester—she says she couldn't have done it without your financial assistance taking the stress off!"

Jennifer gave Larry's arm a squeeze as he looked away for a moment.

"Elaine is really lucky to have you for a big brother," she said. "We all know how much you loved that Mustang."

"And I am lucky to have you for a cousin, too," Balki added, sounding a little choked up. He managed a smile as Larry looked to him in concern. "Nothing is wrong," he assured him. "I just had a lot to think about today when I saw Cousin Bartok off… When he arrived in Los Angeles, the roommate who took him in, he changed him—changed him from the person I knew, told him to forget his Myposian heritage and become this… dishonest person just to fit in with everyone else. But you… You took me in, and though you taught me to adjust to life here, you did not try to change me—you did not try to make me forget my heritage, even if you didn't fully understand why I did the things I did. You let me be different—you let me be _me_. If I had not met you, I might have ended up like Cousin Bartok, forgetting who I really was just to fit in."

The idea of Balki being anything other than himself was so unthinkable, and yet… could things have really turned out that way if Larry hadn't stepped up and taken him in?

Larry placed the bowl of soup down on the coffee table and drew an arm around his cousin.

"I'm glad I could help you, Buddy," he said, sincerely.

"You don' know how much you have," Balki insisted, hugging him tightly.

The girls soon joined in; ah, these group hugs—as frequent as they seemed to be, Larry cherished each and every one of them. And it was one of the few things that could successfully pry him free from that icy grip of depression and self-loathing.

And it was in that moment that he realized that this was what Harriette had been talking about. The choices he had made were ones he had made out of love—and he had received love in return.

Even if he was going nowhere fast, he wasn't alone.

He could live with that—gladly.


	14. One and Only

_Notes: this vignette was inspired by today's Inktober prompt ("catch") and takes place post-series. One of the things I adore about the series is how Larry and Balki never even so much as glance at other women after they go steady with, and eventually marry, Jennifer and Mary Anne, and this vignette happened as a result._

* * *

As head of the cabin crew, Jennifer had been coordinating the details of the meal and beverage services on the flight heading from Portland to Chicago. Things had been running surprisingly smoothly—until it stopped going smoothly.

"Jennifer?" Mary Anne asked, peeking her head in to the attendants' private area, where Jennifer was going over their food inventory. "We've got ourselves a situation up in 15 A."

"Oh, no; what now?" Jennifer asked.

"They're demanding I serve more alcohol, but I think they've had enough already, given the circumstances! I told them that, and they said they wanted to see my manager—that's you."

Jennifer sighed; heading to row 15 with Mary Anne—and stopped as she saw that the passenger in 15 A was a woman. The woman was clearly a little tipsy, and what concerned Jennifer was the one-year-old girl sitting on her lap, clearly upset that she wasn't getting her mother's attentions.

"_How many…?_" Jennifer silently mouthed.

Mary Anne held up three fingers in response.

Jennifer responded with a nod to assure her that she'd made the right call, and then addressed the woman.

"I'm the head of the flight crew; I understand that you wanted to see me?"

"Yes!" the woman exclaimed. "It says here on the menu that you serve alcoholic drinks for $5 each, but _she_ won't take any more of my money!" She glared pointedly at Mary Anne.

"Well, we reserve the right to withhold the service of alcohol if we think it's necessary," Jennifer explained. "And I have to agree with my colleague; I think you've had enough."

She had expected the woman to get even more belligerent, but, to their surprise, she suddenly burst into tears. Jennifer and Mary Anne exchanged baffled glances, and Mary Anne shyly offered a packet of tissues to the woman. After a moment, the woman accepted them.

"I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I know I probably shouldn't be drinking, but I just… I just want to forget everything!"

"It's okay," Jennifer said. "You're clearly having a very bad day—"

"The worst!" she wailed. "My husband left me for another woman! Threw us both out of the house—me, and his own child! …Not that he ever put the slightest effort into raising her, of course…" She sobbed. "My sister lives in Chicago; she's taking me in, but…" She shook her head.

Jennifer had gone slightly pale, but she was still trying to put on a comforting expression, as was Mary Anne. But Jennifer had a deep-seeded fear of abandonment, born from years of disastrous dating, coupled with being teased for not being able to maintain a relationship. And even after she had found true love with Larry, every so often, that fear reared its ugly head and tore at her from the inside-out, even if she knew she had no reason to fear it.

Mary Anne stepped up now, sensing that Jennifer's mind was going there again.

"I really hope things get better for you," she said, sincerely. "And that you'll find someone else to spend your life with."

"No! I'm not looking for that anymore!" the woman insisted. "You can't trust men! They're all the same—out for a conquest! And when they're bored, they'll move on to the next one!"

Jennifer let out a quiet sigh, trying to suppress her own anxieties.

"Take it from me," she said. "Chicago is a great place to start over."

The woman didn't seem convinced, but she did seem calmer now, once again attending to her child. They had to attend to other passengers, but both Jennifer and Mary Anne made frequent checks on her and her daughter for the remainder of the flight to make sure they were both alright. And once the flight had landed in Chicago, Mary Anne insisted on staying with her until her sister arrived to pick her up; Jennifer stayed, too, and after they had seen her off, they headed for the parking lot, where they had kept Larry's blue LTD—the eventual replacement for the Mustang he had sold years ago for his sister's Julliard tuition. Though it lacked the sentimental value of the Mustang, Larry was still almost as persnickety about the LTD as he had been for the Mustang, and after that incident with Jennifer denting the Mustang's door years ago, she most certainly had asked to borrow the LTD this time, and, without hesitation, he'd handed over the keys.

He loved her. And she knew he loved her. It was foolish to think that Larry would leave her for _any_ reason, let alone the ludicrous idea that he'd stray for another woman.

Even as she sat in the driver's seat, all around her, there was evidence of his devotion—the car cover she'd knitted for him was folded on the back seat beside Tucker's car seat, and stuck on the sun visor clip was a picture of her holding Tucker shortly after his birth, after they'd been rescued from that runaway hot-air-balloon and brought back to _terra firma_; given the situation they'd been in, Tucker had been swaddled in Larry's jacket—it was a rather ridiculous sight, with Tucker in the jacket and Jennifer looking, in her opinion, like a mess, but Larry never failed to get emotional just thinking about that moment.

"What are you thinking about?" Mary Anne asked from the passenger seat, though she seemed to know the answer already.

"That Larry is quite a catch," she said. She looked over at her best friend and smiled. "You've got quite a catch with Balki, too."

"I sure do," she agreed, with a smile.

"You know, I still can't believe it," Jennifer sighed. "I'd just come off a bad relationship and was convinced that I was done with dating. I take a side job at a health club, selling memberships, I walk into a discount store trying to get the signature of the Mediterranean guy who was so eager that he forgot to sign his form, and then I meet his cousin—my future husband. Who knew?"

"I kinda did—when I saw you trying not to laugh when you saw him falling off of the bench press machine the next day. …I don't think any of your previous boyfriends ever made you smile like that." Mary Anne smiled. "And it was lucky for both of us that you went into the discount store that day—you met your future husband, and I met mine the next day!"

"It took us a few bumps in the road along the way, but the four of us got there eventually," Jennifer agreed. She sobered slightly. "I don't ever want it to end."

"It won't—for a long, long, _long_ time," Mary Anne assured her.

"…I'll take it," Jennifer admitted. With a sigh, she started the car. "Let's go home."

"Can't wait."

* * *

The lights in the house were warm and inviting as they pulled into the driveway. Gathering their things, they entered through the back door through the kitchen. Balki was tending to some things on the stove as Robespierre sat nearby in a high chair, coloring with some crayons.

"Oh, hi, Mary Anne! Cousin Jennifer!"

"Hi, Balki," Jennifer smiled, as Mary Anne kissed him in greeting. "How's it going?"

"Oh, terrific," Balki grinned. "Robespierre is getting good at the whole walking thing; I think I'm going to start teaching him Boochi Tag one of these days." He turned to his son and tickled him on the chin. "Yeah, you want to play Boochi Tag, don' you?" He trailed off into Myposian, and Robespierre giggled at him in response.

Mary Anne picked Robespierre up from the high chair and hugged him.

"Where are Larry and Tucker?" Jennifer asked.

"In the living room; Cousin Larry's been trying to tempt little Tucker into walking, too…" Balki gave an apologetic shrug. "I think Cousin Larry might be a bit concerned that Robespierre has been walking for two weeks already, but Tucker hasn't…"

The words were barely out of his mouth when, suddenly, they heard Larry exclaim from the living room—

"Yes! _YES_!"

"Oh, no; I missed it!?" Jennifer exclaimed, running to the living room, followed by Balki, Mary Anne, and Robespierre.

Larry was just picking up Tucker in a triumphant hug when they walked in; Larry noticed them and gave them a huge grin.

"Mary Anne! Jen! Welcome home!" He kept one arm holding Tucker and drew his free arm around Jennifer, giving her an excited hug. "Jen, _guess_ what happened! No, wait, don't guess—let's see if we can get an encore!" He placed Tucker gently back on the ground. "Okay, Tucker—once more, for Mommy…"

Tucker looked back at him with an amused expression, as though wondering what all the excitement was about. Jennifer knelt down and extended her arms to him, gently calling his name. Tucker turned his attention to her and, slowly, toddled towards her. With a joyful squeal, Jennifer gathered him into a hug, and the warm feeling growing in her heart grew even more intense as Larry knelt beside the both of them, drawing them into a hug, as well. And soon, they were joined on the floor by the three Bartokomouses.

"Cousin, this is so great!" Balki exclaimed. "In a few weeks, they'll be better and better at walking, and, someday, we can teach them the Dance of Joy!"

"You bet, Buddy," Larry grinned, and he turned back to Jennifer. "Well, Jen, you pretty much saw the highlight of our day. How was your day?"

Jennifer exchanged a glance with Mary Anne, and with just a glance, both of their thoughts turned to that unfortunate passenger, as well as to how lucky the two of them were to have such caring and loyal husbands who were heavily invested in the care of their children. It seemed so basic, and yet… was it really that rare?

Mary Anne snuggled up to Balki, still holding Robespierre, and Jennifer leaned in further into Larry's embrace.

"Jen…? Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine, Larry," she assured him. She glanced up, gently touching the side of his face as she kissed him. "Thank you."

"…For what?" Larry asked, slightly confused.

"For being you."

"That goes for you, too, Balki," Mary Anne said, kissing him again.

The cousins exchanged slightly confused glances, but shrugged, holding their wives and children close, glad to have their families all together again. And Jennifer and Mary Anne held them as well, grateful to be loved—and grateful that Jennifer had walked into Ritz Discount that day years ago.


End file.
